FuturePerfect
by Aura
Summary: Naraku is dead and everything should be lovely now that the jewel is gone, but Inuyasha finally drives the final nail in Kagome's heart and she leaves to return to her time, not knowing that a second golden eyed demon is watching. Rating may rise later.
1. Foreword

I'm writing this as a challenge - I don't actually take them up often but this one was something I've considered previously and always wanted to do but haven't. I figured someone being like 'do it' was fate to finally take it up.

The challenge was called 'Album Songfic challenge' put up by Kitten on the Dokuga fanfiction site. Basically you write either a songfic or chapter story based around following the songs of a particular album, in order.

Immediately I thought of the Album I decided to use. FuturePerfect by VNV nation. This will be a slight change from my normal form of writing as I rarely do this sort of thing but feedback is always appreciated. I will list the lyrics at the beginning for the first chapter. The first track on the album is super short. After that I will put them at the end because a lot of the other songs are longer. Hope people enjoy it, done with my opening comments.

**Chapter One:** _**Foreword**_

_This is your world.  
These are your people.  
You can live for yourself today,  
or help build tomorrow for everyone._

_**-VNV Nation**_

Kagome couldn't do much more than lay across the grass, looking at the empty blue sky with some level of disbelief at the fact that things had finally finished. Naraku had been defeated after a long and stressful final battle. The jewel was gone from the world and while she'd been amongst the many that sacrificed much to down the evil creature, there was a level of relief she couldn't resist reveling in.

Inuyasha was laying nearby, sleeping, probably recovering after the many strikes he'd taken and the amount of yoki that had been floating around when he hadn't had his Tetsusaiga for protection and was still controlled by his demon. Miroku and Sango we're sitting near each other against a tree, fingers intertwined with one another and eyes gazing away with more open young love than the pair would normally admit. Nearly dying against such an enemy as Naraku afforded them at least a momentary lapse of arguing.

Even Sesshomaru had chosen a place, albeit far from the main group, to sit and rest after the long battle. Rin was chatting with Kohaku who was sitting near his sister and the monk. Jaken was staying near his lord with the dragon Ah-Un. The darkness Naraku's body had cast across the land and sky was banished now and she was delighted that, at least for a short moment, everyone that had fought so hard and been so scarred by his evil had a chance to enjoy peace.

It was even warm, though the summer was growing late now and the leaves were just beginning to show yellow at the edges, the day was still a good temperature. Everything was worth the long year of chasing after the jewel shards, finally defeating Naraku.

The darkness was forgotten for at least that brief moment and she couldn't help but grin when she repeated it to herself again. "It's finally over."

She nudged Inuyasha and he didn't budge, but the slight snort after being moved made her shake her head at him. She left the small family of her other friends, not wanting to interrupt the happiness Sango must have at that moment. To gain Miroku and her brother back after all the fear for their safety was wonderful for Kagome, but she knew it was exponentially better for the demon slayer.

Instead she approached Sesshomaru, it wasn't generally something she would do, but they'd worked together to kill Naraku, there was a bond between them all after that struggle even if the demon lord wouldn't admit it.

"Hello." She couldn't keep the smile off her face, elated was too short a word to describe.

A silver brow barely raised, intent amber gaze settled on her for so long a moment she thought he wasn't going to answer at all. Finally she got a short reply. "Are you injured?"

It was the most logical answer for the demon lord. The girl had always been strange, but rarely had she addressed him, each time she'd been angry or fearful so the grin on her face was something that peaked his curiosity.

She laughed at the question. "No, I'm wonderful. Aren't you happy? Naraku's finally been defeated! You should return with Rin and the rest of us to the village and celebrate."

"Why would I deem removing such vermin worthy of commemorating?" He asked with the usual stoicism.

She giggled again at the comment, she half-expected him to act as if the whole thing had been nothing more than a bother. However, the gold stare was unblinking and she composed herself enough to try a different tactic. "I think Rin would like it, and it would give her some company with humans."

Sesshomaru followed her glance at the young girl that had been traveling with him for most of the time they'd been tracking Naraku. It was only a flicker though and he was back to watching her in that silent and unreadable way that started to make her a bit nervous. "I will consider allowing Rin to attend."

Kagome shook her head as he misunderstood her, hands moving to her hips as she frowned just a bit. "You should come too, I think she'd like that and you deserve a break just like the rest of us."

"Lord Sesshomaru doesn't need the company of lowly humans and half-breeds." Jaken jumped in brandishing his staff at Kagome, his face twisted into a disapproving scowl. "Get away from here."

"Jaken." The name instantly paused the little imp before Kagome could act on her desire to beat it senseless or possibly purify it. "Be silent."

"Y...yes mi'lord." He wilted instantly and almost whimpered as he returned to being half behind the tree where Sesshomaru was leaning and watching the priestess that was offering the bizarre invitation.

It was almost insulting really, for one of his station to be expected to attend some party run by low class human's. The hovel would hardly provide entertainment, but this was a social part of human life that Rin would require if she was to continue to grow up happily. He finally nodded just a little. "I will accept your invitation."

Jaken's jaw about fell from his body, gaping open as he stared at his master as if the demon lord had sprouted a third head that begun to sing opera. Had the final battle effected his mental capacity? No, of course not, he was probably just going for Rin. Why he cared for the human Jaken wasn't certain, but he knew better than to question anything that was for her sake.

"Great. We'll head back soon then." Kagome's grin was firmly back in place, she was returning to smiling so much it would probably hurt later...but it would be a good discomfort. A successful discomfort, they'd just saved Japan, a party was a wonderful way to end the day!

She headed back to explain to Sango and Miroku now that they weren't being so cuddly and nearly skipped as she went.

**End Chapter**

It's very happy! For now at least...*cackle* I think the first track sounds very upbeat and about possibilities so I went with that. This was a interesting challenge! I like it. Thanks for the idea Kitten.

_-Aura_

_P.S. If anyone wants to listen to the music you can probably find it on youtube. I own the album but they aren't well known or carried often by general stores._


	2. Epicentre

**Chapter Two:** _**Epicentre**_

The ideal party Kagome had considered wasn't quite what was turning out.

Inuyasha did stir, but he was on edge with his brother being there...even if he hadn't really joined them and was more observing from the sidelines. Miroku had already had a bit more sake than any of the rest of them and the red hand-shaped marks on his face were the sign that the moment of contentment had indeed passed. Rin, Shippou, and Kohaku were probably having the most fun of them, as they were actually off in one of the fields with Jaken flying kites.

Thankfully the tenseness of Inuyasha was starting to relax a little with all the refills of his drink that Miroku had been freely offering. There was music but it was distant, the city was having a celebration of it's own but Kaede had considered it wise to keep most of the folk away from the possible volatile situation of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha in such proximity to each other.

It seemed even the defeat of Naraku had done little more than dent the malice between the pair, it turned a loathing to more of a suffering tolerance. The alcohol was helping Inuyasha, along with Miroku having pulled him into a game of dice. Sango elected to watch and Kagome figured she might as well try and at least be a good hostess. So she headed toward the demon lord with two glasses in hand, holding one out toward him with a less cheerful smile than she had had before. The initial shock and relief of Naraku's death hadn't ceased to make her feel amazement, but she was much more down to earth than she'd been when she'd invited him earlier.

"Here. It's one of the older bottles of sake in the villiage is what Kaede told me." Kagome offered in hopes he'd perhaps relax as well.

"I don't drink such things." He returned with a slight measure of distaste edging his otherwise beautiful voice.

"Oh..." She sipped at her own glass, which was juice from her time instead of the rice liquor. "We have other things if you'd prefer."

"I don't eat human food." Sesshomaru returned, now instead of distaste he sounded bored.

"What...do you eat?" Kagome wasn't sure how to take that statement. Didn't humans eat all sorts of things after all?

He was staring, he usually seemed to do that for a time before he replied, at least to her. Maybe she was just pressing her luck and shouldn't try to make nice with him, it was seeming more and more like inviting him hadn't been the best plan after all.

"I doubt you'd like to hear the answer to that." Was his eventual statement. Though that let her imagination go wild, and she paled a bit, nodding quietly. Likely he hunted like other animals or demons, eating pray raw or tearing it apart...she really didn't need details if that was the case.

"What about water? You drink water right?" She was determined to do something to be a decent hostess.

"Yes. I drink water." He blinked at her once, though his expression didn't change whatsoever. "You have traveled with Inuyasha for this long a period and you know nothing of the habits of full demons? I shouldn't be surprised."

His glance had moved off of her, across the small opening to his younger brother. Though it was only slight, the contempt was something she could clearly make out by even the small change of his face, a line here or there that was smoothed previously.

"Um...well he didn't really grow up around demons." Kagome was glad that Miroku was being so loud, it would be difficult if Inuyasha heard and started fighting. "It wasn't as if he probably knew that much to tell."

"Ignorance...an eternal excuse for the half-breed." Sesshomaru returned, apparently the lack of knowledge was a crime of some kind she didn't understand. The bizarre internal politics of the demon world she doubted she'd ever understand.

She was about to say something else, defend her friend, when he spoke again and surprised her.

"You're friends, you said to them on the walk back that you we're looking forward to returning home. Then the intoxicated monk said that it'd be good for you to return to your own time." Sesshomaru had his attention firmly back on her at that point. "What did he mean?"

Kagome blinked in surprise then, they'd been a good fifty feet below where Sesshomaru and Ah-Un had flown, he'd heard them talking? Certainly they hadn't whispered, but they hadn't been yelling either...

"Um...nothing." Kagome managed lamely. "Probably too much drinking."

"Mmm." The non-committal sound was too skeptical for her to feel much better about it. "Did you have water?"

"Oh yeah, water, let me go get some." Kagome leapt at the excuse to walk away for a while, brain swirling with worry now that he'd mentioned her secret. Something about the idea of Sesshomaru in the modern era made her exceptionally nervous.

_"Just relax, relax Kagome."_ She told herself as she walked to get the water, wringing her hands while her back was to the demon lord. _ "He doesn't know anything really. He just overheard loudmouthed Miroku rambling...he couldn't know about the well or the gateway to my time."_

Sesshomaru watched her go, immediately picked up on her nervousness, the increase of her heart rate after he mentioned it and as she walked away. Humans were easy to read, it was always the same signs when they were lying. Not that he was overly concerned with this priestess, he'd never given much thought to Inuyasha's companions, but the idea that she was from another time had peaked his interest when he'd heard the loud monk discussing it upon their return trip.

The issues that had resurfaced with the Jewel of Four Souls, the whispers from weaker demons and lesser creatures that wanted such a worthless false power, those had not appeared until after she'd released his brother and began to travel with him...

He'd always attributed it to a simple need to have a priestess capable of seeking the jewels to fight against people looking to abuse them. Though her odd clothing, her outspoken nature, it was alien to their world, their time. When he'd heard them, at first he thought it was in fact probably just the monk already having some wine of his own. It was just now when she lied he realized that there was something worth observing in the group of hovels the humans called a village after all.

She returned with her own glass and the one she'd offered him before had been replaced by one with water. It was at least very clear, the quality quite nice, he considered it before accepting it and holding it in his, until very recently missing, left hand.

"You never answered my question." He pointed out upon her return, after having a drink of the water she'd offered.

"Nothing to answer." She repeated, this time it was less obvious, but the lie was still clear on her, her heart rate gave it away...though he'd nearly missed it this time, inuyasha and Miroku had begun to argue over one of the dice rolls. The half-demon assumed the monk was cheating somehow after several rolls had gone Miroku's way. "Would you like to take a walk?"

"Um...sure." She was so surprised that Sesshomaru was asking her to walk she just agreed, then kicked herself as he turned expecting her to follow. A worried glance was sent at her friends but even Sango was distracted trying to keep things from getting even louder between the pair. They were several paces away from the group, she could barely hear them arguing anymore, when Sesshomaru turned so suddenly she was lucky she didn't run right into him.

Though she blushed at the proximity he didn't falter one bit, his eyes lively as he stared at her. "You travel through time?"

"Um...I guess?" Kagome was afraid. She hadn't feared Sesshomaru for ages, but she just remembered the last time he'd been so incredibly close to her outside of the battle with Naraku, he'd turned those poison claws on her. Lying just didn't seem as much of a good idea when you were considering being disintegrated by acid. "It's um, not really anything."

That got him to raise both of his silver brows. He'd expected her to be nervous, most intelligent humans were, but more than that he didn't detect that she disbelieved her second statement. "How do you accomplish this?"

"I just...can..." Kagome relaxed a little more when he didn't actually seem as angry as she'd first thought. "...It's not something I should really talk about much."

The silent stare got her to continue, he could have been waiting to reply like normal, but he could have been considering which piece of her to gut first. She was starting to think that winning was a bad thing for her health, it made her do stupid things like invite Sesshomaru to parties where he learns about her biggest secret.

"I came here cause of the jewel...it was inside of me...because of Kikyo I think. Because I'm her reincarnation and she'd burned the jewel away with her body." Kagome explained in a hurry. "I don't know if I'll be able to return home or if I do if I can ever return here now that the jewel is gone."

Saying it aloud was incredibly sobering, it was always something that seemed so far away that she wasn't sure she'd ever have to face the option.

"You travel how?" Sesshomaru had to admit he was extremely curious, generally he had little tolerance for humans, but this one had just become something more unique even than most of the demons out there.

Kagome shrugged a little, she was pretty sure it wasn't the best idea to tell him. Shippou had never been able to get through, and Yura only had because of her hair...but still, Sesshomaru was his own force, stronger even than his father had been. She was worried he'd press her more but he had taken a step back and instead appeared to be contemplating. In fact, he hadn't picked up any differences when she'd shrugged, cause she was already so nervous her heart couldn't take the time to jump.

"Thank you for the invitation priestess." Sesshomaru stated, his cool manner back in place. "And for the water. I need to be on my way."

She was about to speak up but he'd already vanished. Kagome frowned after the disappearance and shook her head, nothing she could do about it now and worrying would only be worse for her. Instead she decided to return to her friends, finding that Sango had joined the game of dice and was beating both of the boys.

Kagome had to smirk at that, even if their traveling days were at an end now, it was good that they could all finally be happy without the shadow of Naraku. It was bittersweet for her, the girl out of time, but she was still delighted for the sake of her friends.

The game continued for a while, and even she joined in a couple rounds. Sango took the liquor away from the boys, they'd been pretty well drunk by the end of things even after it'd been gone for a good hour and they each took their own guy to help him return to his sleeping quarters in the town. The villagers had been kind enough to surprise them after the victory with two homes of their own they could share. They weren't much to many but Kagome still felt very touched.

It was when they returned though that her day gave her the biggest shock of all. Inuyasha leaned and kissed her, pushing her against the wooden wall outside of the building. It wasn't exactly what she'd planned out of a first kiss, he tasted absolutely terrible after all he'd drank, he slobbered on her a little and as if it wasn't bad enough that he'd stolen what was suppose to be a romantic lovely moment, he ruined it further when he finally stopped to let her breath.

"I love you..." The first three words made her blush, her heart began to sore and then. "...Kikyo."

It crashed back to earth in a instant, he leaned in for another kiss but she dodged away, fists balled as she felt the tears rising in her eyes. All the time they'd been together, all the time she'd hoped he'd finally get over the dead girl and want to try to develop something else with her. He still only liked her because of how much she resembled his last girlfriend. In that one unforgivable moment she realized he always would. "SIT BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT!!!!"

The crash came down, then there were several more uncomfortable crashing sounds as yelps of pain erupted from the confused and drunk half demon. There they were, the tears were starting to go over her cheeks now, today of all days she wanted to have one chance to really be happy.

"I hate you Inuyasha." She burst at him as he felt the salt liquid running down her cheeks and falling from her chin, though he was in no way fit to really take in whatever she was saying. Instead she stormed away, yelling the whole way. "SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT..."

She screamed it at the top of her lungs all the way back to the bone eaters well, not caring how much damage she leveled on the evil two-timing necrophiliac wannabe. All this time and she'd finally finished what she'd broken, the jewel was complete and it was gone and the fuedal era didn't need her anymore.

She took the free-falling sensation of passing between worlds with indifference, instead of losing it in the past she was sobbing at the bottom of the well in her own time. Where and when you were didn't matter too much when you were heartbroken.

There was no way she could have noticed the figure watching her from the forest near the well when she vanished, that she had been being followed the entire time...

**End Chapter**

Whew, so that was fun. It'd be awesome if folks let me know what they think of chapter compared to music but even just a review at all is always nice :)

_-Aura_

Epicentre lyrics:

_I asked myself "was I content"  
with the world that I once cherished  
Did it bring me to this darkened place  
to contemplate my perfect future  
I will not stand nor utter words against  
this tide of hate_  
_Losing sight of what and who I was again_

I'm so sorry if these seething words I say  
impress on you that I've become  
the anathema of my soul

I can say that you're losing me  
I always tried to keep myself tied to this world  
but I know where this is leading  
(please)  
No tears  
No sympathy

_I can say that you're losing me  
but I must be that which I am  
Though I know where this could take me  
No tears  
No sympathy_

Gracefully  
Respectfully  
Facing conflict deep inside myself  
But here confined  
Losing control of what I could not change

Gracefully  
Respectfully  
I ask you "please don't worry"  
not for me  
Don't turn your back  
Don't turn away


	3. Electronaut

**Chapter Three:** _**Electronaut**_

The first night was the only time she'd had a chance to cry, to beat her hands against the dirt at the bottom of the well and scream at the gateway that had lead her to such dark times. Her grandfather had been taking care of something, he'd heard her screaming and rushed in worry.

Time began to pass but she wasn't paying much mind to it and her family hadn't let her slow down. It was obvious they were very concerned about her. Not that she hadn't given them reason, she was barely eating, sleep was always difficult, she knew they pretended not to hear her sobbing at night but that they probably did.

She had homework that needed to be done though, and she dutifully took up the books and papers they set in front of her out of a personal need to be busy as much as their desire for her to get off her mind what had happened to her.

Not that she'd told them directly, it was difficult to think about, more or less bring up and speak on. Her fairy tale had been neatly torn to shreds by Inuyasha's uncaring claws. It made her feel dirty, the way he'd pushed her up and kissed her without a moment of notice, the fact that he'd been thinking of her as Kikyo while he did it?

That got the waterworks to begin more times than she could possibly remember. He'd stolen her first kiss in such a filthy and unforgettable, unforgivable! manner. He didn't even have the decency to have been thinking it was her instead of the dead Kikyo...likely he wouldn't even remember given how much he'd smelled and tasted of saki.

Though, she didn't have too much time to consider it now that her family had made it a personal battle to keep her busy at all times. They'd even pulled in her friends, who were kind enough not to ask too many questions to her outright and were currently dragging her around the mall from store to store.

Most teenage girls would love the chance and the extra yen her mother had given her to buy clothes, but she wasn't as interested as she would have been before her time in the past. Her life, who she would have been, had been stolen like the awful tasting drooled kiss, and she couldn't change it.

It wasn't until they'd stopped to use the bus and hers was out of date. She'd been moping like this for a month. She hadn't even realized, even though all the signs of autumn were here, the leaves were all changed, flower blossoms for fall blooming floral were in the air. It was a pretty, almost romantic atmosphere outside, perhaps that's why she'd been trying to avoid it with such force.

Her friends kept her talking, what she thought of the latest fashions and trends. She made herself participate, she would force herself to enjoy life again. The fact that she'd wasted so much of it for a guy that wouldn't ever see her as more than a copy suddenly made her angry instead of sad. She wouldn't waste more time pining over such a man.

Her mood for the first time was better when she finally got off the train with them, running up the steps to her house two at a time, pausing at the top to look at the shack that held the well. She hadn't tried to use it once sense she'd left...even though she'd wanted to see Miroku and Sango, to see how their lives together were going. They were probably still planning the wedding, Sango had wanted it to be in the spring.

She'd have to see Inuyasha if she went back, there was little doubt the temperamental half demon would be there when she returned. If she could return, she hadn't wanted to test it, but now, now that her fire had been brought back by not just the time, but the surprise at how much time, she was ready. Her family would worry if they knew though...

A glance was sent to the house and she swallowed before steadying herself. Her mother wouldn't like it, none of them would be happy if she started crying again, she'd been such a burden without even realizing it. Well, no more, it was time to confront him, to tell him he'd lost his chances with her.

The well was there, there was no reason she shouldn't still be able to use it!

She dashed across the opening to the shack, not wanting her family to see her there in case they were concerned about her well being. Her heart was going in her chest, she hadn't worked out much in the time she'd been pining, and the run up the steps and across the courtyard had her blood pumping.

She jumped over the ledge, but the sensation of free falling didn't catch her as she had been accustomed too. Instead she saw a flash of light but landed on the dirt at the bottom that she was very glad she'd taken the time to soften up and dig out any pieces that could have hurt her long before.

"I'll be able to go back won't I?" She frowned as the old fear resurfaced.

ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo

Sesshomaru had watched her disappear in the well in nothing more than a flash of light. Had inspected the shaft that evening, ignored the angry rants from a unwell Inuyasha the next morning. He was cursing her for leaving without saying goodbye, but he felt no need to explain what had happened to his little brother. It was his misdoing if he couldn't even remember his own actions.

He didn't have time to constantly watch the well, often leaving to deal with his own affairs but considering it when he passed by the area.

He took to ignoring his brother most of time, it was the usual whimpering from a pup. Though only the monk member of their band continued to stop the half-breed from taking the deadly step of attacking Sesshomaru outright. His brother rarely left the well, which only confirmed the suspicion that it must somehow be the gateway. Though his whole group didn't seem to appreciate the demon lord's interest as he rarely approached when they were looking none of them interfered.

He'd finally decided to use Inuyasha hiding inside thanks to the new moon and his half-blood weakness to inspect the well a second time in more detail. The others hadn't been appearing as much as she seemed to have vanished permanently.

_**"I don't know if I'll ever be able to return home, or if I do, if I can ever return here now that the jewel is gone."**_

He remembered her words on the unique power perfectly, though it was possible if the jewel was used as a power source to open it then other sources of power could as well. Inuyasha had been digging in the well one day, so it was only logical that his group thought the connection could still exist.

There seemed to be a energy in the well that wasn't there the last time he'd inspected it, a scent he couldn't quite make out against all the fresh dirt his brother continued to unearth. A light flickered around him and a field of stars reached across his vision. Before he could even raise a brow at the strange happening...then he felt the dozens of changes, the air was different, the smells, the sounds... and most notably saw an irate looking priestess staring at the dirt beneath her feet.

**End Chapter**

Okay, well, this was a shorter chapter, but the song is only instrumental and I tried to match it as best I could while following the story. There was a fast pace but I feel that was meeting with the theme of the challenge.

_-Aura_


	4. Liebestod

**Chapter Four:** _**Liebestod**_

She was angry at first, she blamed Inuyasha for his thoughtless assault on her emotions for making her return without goodbyes. Though it was perhaps best that her ties had been severed neatly, if she could never return then she wouldn't return. There wasn't much left for her there now that Inuyasha had been purged from her life. Like an addict she'd spent weeks recovering, would probably spend months more, but she would get over it. She would get on with her life the way it was meant to be lead.

Then he spoke. "This is the future then?"

The simple question left her brain grasping for words, for reality, she turned around and there he was, Sesshomaru was standing at the bottom of her family's well, in his full glory and with his new sword settled at his side. He wasn't looking at her but instead seemed to be sniffing quietly, picking up scents.

"...urg...uh?" Was all her lips managed to do. The words wouldn't form right, she wasn't even sure what words to put into place. Though the even more than usual strange reply attained her the golden eyes of the demon lord and she felt herself want to melt into the dirt.

"Priestess, why are you just sitting at the bottom of a well?" He asked, idly pondering if they normally just dug a lot to get the connection to work...though given how much failure Inuyasha had gotten with that route he doubted it.

"Sesshomaru..." She breathed the name quietly, incredibly glad she was sitting down, if she hadn't been she probably would have fallen over. "How did you get here?"

He was watching her again, in the manner he did the few times they'd interacted. Though he seemed to be scanning her more fully than he had in the past, somehow she felt the dress she'd gone out with her friends in just wasn't enough. The cold on her legs caught up to her as she considered it and she shivered.

"I was simply inspecting it, then I found myself transported here." He answered finally. "Can you not afford more fitting clothing?"

Most priestess' wore traditional clothing, but if she was from another time, they might not be afforded the same gifts as holy men and women in the time he knew. It was something he had to tread lightly with, magic such as this were to be respected even by the most powerful of demons.

"Um, yeah, I just...I was out..." She answered, her brain had mostly gone onto auto-pilot as it tried to catch up with what was happening. "...I thought maybe I could go back...but it didn't work..."

"Mmm." The sound was so close to the time she'd heard it that painful day a month before that she could still picture him in the woods when he'd done it then as clearly as he was in front of her now. "You do not seem well. I do not sense other demons...you shall function as a guide."

That part sunk in slowly, he wanted her to show him around her time? She was still trying to figure out how he could even be there, but had a sinking feeling it was her fault for being here when he was there. A frown formed on her face and she shook her head negatively.

"No."

It was harder to have a backbone when you knew the person you were showing it to could rip it out and beat you to death with it. The survival instinct part of her told her to agree when she got a sharply arched brow in reply to the no.

"I mean..." She swallowed. "It's just...things are different here. Demons don't exist in this time...and people don't dress like that...you couldn't just walk around without causing all kinds of trouble everywhere."

The explanation was sort of lame, but she wasn't lying. As strong as Sesshomaru was, weapons here weren't like then, and if anyone found out what he was, they'd want to capture him and test on him...or they'd drive him to kill thousands or millions in repeated attempts...

"Then you will show me how to blend in." He answered more immediately than she was used to. "You do not have food here?"

The demand frustrated her, but the following question broke the line of protest up. "Um, yes, lots of kinds of food, more than the past really."

"Then why do you appear as if you've been starved?" Sesshomaru had noticed just how gaunt she was compared to the month before. He assumed by the way her companions had spoken when they didn't notice him eavesdropping that the two connected time-lines still held a similar passage of days. "Is that why you have not returned? Is someone causing you harm?"

She shook her head emphatically, whatever reason his sudden interest in her well being was, he'd seen her willing to slay a boy to protect Rin, the last thing she needed was for him to think her family was doing anything wrong.

"No...I just...I haven't eaten much lately...I never really feel like it." She answered looking down, somehow she couldn't keep his gaze with that admittance.

"Inuyasha." The name out loud from someone else made her frown, so much for her strength, a moment later and she was sad again. Perhaps stressed and distraught from the arrival of the older brother that made her nervous...sad from the fact that even he could see the reason for the way she hadn't been taking care of herself.

Sesshomaru felt a renewed hatred for Inuyasha, he was perhaps indeed the most like father...betrayal and all. He remembered when his mother had discovered father's betrayal...the way she'd vanished for so long and always looked ill...heartbroken his tutor's had told him.

Even demons had emotions, while the best of them suppressed them neatly he'd often believed they felt more acutely then even most humans. They were why his father had been so treacherous with the wench, why his mother had grown so distant, why he was again growing to loathe his little brother.

He could smell the scent of salt, that she was near tears, could remember clearly the way his mother would always look away when she had the same smell. How could someone not feel shame being treated so poorly?

He bent down to where she wasn't looking at him and lifted her from the ground, ignoring the shocked expression, he got those from people so often he didn't consider them anything out of the ordinary. Rin had worn on him over the years, not all humans were awful, he'd taken out his father's betrayal on the whole for decades and this human at least had earned some respect from the demon lord.

Kagome meanwhile had to stare, he was helping her...sure he'd just ordered her to be a personal tour master but he was showing kindness she'd only ever seen him show to Rin. It threw her off, what had changed to make him rethink his treatment of her?

A half dozen things ranging from reasonable to wildly illogical passed through her thoughts, but she wasn't even done considering when he was setting her back on her feet carefully on the outside of the well. Still not watching her, being wary of his new surroundings and eyeing the shack where the well was now placed with a measure of skepticism.

Despite the fear and uncertainty in having him here, she smiled a little anyway, the show of kindness had meant much to the still fragile girl.

**End Chapter**

I know most of these are ending up short but 4 tracks on the CD are instumental only and this is one of those. Two to go? Anyway, the next chapter I'm hoping will be a bit longer but this was more of an experiment than my average stories anyway. I may go back in the future and drag it out further but for now it is what is is.

_-Aura_

_To reviewers:_

Thanks for the kind words of encouragement, I'm updating when I get things written out.


	5. Holding On

**Chapter Five:** _**Holding On**_

Kagome found it wasn't as difficult as she originally believed to introduce her family to Sesshomaru, her grandfather was wary but at least didn't throw any paper talisman at him like when he'd first met Inuyasha. Her mother was careful until she heard the demon berating her for not eating, by berating he was more calmly explaining that she needed to take care of herself better and her mother picked up from the comments neatly. Souta meanwhile just thought his armor and sword were cooler than Inuaysha's...

Her mother helped her dig though some clothes donated to the shrine for families not well off that came there for aid and they managed to put together things that looked as if they would fit him. Slacks and a long sleeved shirt, even dress shoes in his size. They washed them and she was surprised that he found them 'acceptable' enough to wear. Though when he returned the vision of him outside of his armor was a bit much for her.

His boa thing was still there, as were the marks on his face. She wasn't sure there was anything she could really do about those. Covering them up with make up wasn't too likely. Concealer wasn't exactly designed to cover midnight blue and scarlet markings after all.

"Your um...fluffy...thing." Kagome commented slowly. "I don't think it's the best idea to bring it along. Could you leave it here?"

"That is not an option." He stated, eyeing her again and apparently deeming it needed to explain given the displeased expression on her face at the outright refusal. "I already know that Inuyasha taught you nothing, so I'll explain. This is my tail within my human form, I can't simply leave it."

"Oh." Kagome blinked curiously at the comment, she'd seen a lot of demons that held some aspect of their animal form but never once had considered that the boa was actually a tail. "I see, well I guess it can't be helped then. I don't suppose you can remove the marks on your face or arms?"

"No." The tone was just vaguely insulted.

She nodded a little, she'd have to say they were tattoo's if anyone asked then...but now that he was out of his armor, even if he seemed a bit flamboyant with the way his tail was worn over his shoulder...she thought he was passable. Most people didn't search far beneath the surface of things.

"Then I think that'll work." She finally said, having been looking him over for final details. His claws would raise a few questions but she was pretty sure she saw some pairs of gloves that might fit him, thankful that it was getting closer to winter and no one would ask questions.

"You will show me then?" He took the acceptance of his required disguise as a sign that he would get to survey these lands, what his kingdom would eventually become.

"Sure." Kagome nodded and smiled at him. "But can we do that tomorrow? It's been a long couple of days finding everything and keeping mom from chewing me out now that you got her started on the food thing."

"She is correct." The three words were so aggravating simple for making her feel like she was getting chided again by the demon lord.

She frowned at him, starting to lose her temper with the attitude. Or perhaps she just needed something to take out all her various frustrations and stress on. "Look, I'm alive, I'm surviving and I'll do just fine without all the remarks from the peanut gallery."

"Your reactions are normal." Sesshomaru at least seemed to be agreeing with her. "But you need to forget the half-breed. It'll be easier on you the sooner you put it behind you."

Kagome felt her anger waver. _ "Is he really trying to help me?" _ She could see there was something else there, beneath the surface. As if the demon lord understood her heartbreak despite the manner in which he reacted to her. Though she had seen that moment in the well too, that there was some deeper meaning to his new kindness.

"Why are you being nice to me?" She couldn't help it, she hadn't really wanted to ask so directly but it just came out.

Sesshomaru's eyes widened just a bit, the tone she'd used was almost accusatory, though he could still remember the way his mother had never been the same after his father had betrayed her...so much of that pain was reflected clearly in the young girls eyes.

"You are suffering as no one should have to." He said finally, repeating words that his tutor had spoken to him of his mother. "I am offering nothing more or less than I feel is needed."

"I..." Kagome blinked, unsure of how to answer the unexpected response. She figured it would be something to do with him needing her as a guide, for her priestess powers, anything but actual kindness. Almost hadn't wanted the reason to stop holding on to Inuyasha... "Thank you, Sesshomaru."

"You should rest." He pointed out, noting the dark circles beneath her eyes were more defined than they'd been when he'd arrived. Not that he wanted to wait longer, he'd never been incredibly patient, despite what his face put on, but he knew he had to tread carefully. Inuyasha would be beaten when he returned, if nothing else but in honor of his mother and what she'd been put through.

"I'm not tired." It was the answer he was coming to expect from anything that required personal care other than cleanliness. In the day he'd been there she'd been animate about bathing but little else. Her family had left, going to see some thing called a 'movie' that was then explained to him as something like a play. Her mother was a bit aggressive about him keeping an eye on her while they were gone but he knew that there was little as dangerous in the world as a mother protecting it's young so he'd simply nodded. No reason to rock the boat in this new world of the future.

"Come." He lifted her up despite a squeak of protest and began carrying her to the room where she'd occasionally vanished to redress. The room was lavish compared to most of the homes in his age, though it was still common compared to his own estate her family wasn't as poor as he'd first hypothesized.

"Hey, put me down." She managed, but he was setting her on her bed before she could say much else. It reminded him of how Rin would sometimes pout and protest when he'd asked her to rest. "I said I wasn't tired."

"Your body reads otherwise." He stated calmly. "You said yourself it had been a long day or two and implied you wished to rest before going anywhere."

"I...guess." She huffed, getting up long enough to pull back her blankets and sit back on the bed. Arguing with him just pretty much didn't happen, he was too calm about absolutely everything, she doubted he felt a shred of anything more than minor annoyance when she protested like she did.

He nodded at her starting to get ready and turned, leaving her to her rest.

"You haven't slept anywhere, mom made up the couch but you never touched it." Kagome commented, still sitting up on the side of her own bed. "You could sleep too."

"I don't sleep in the same manner human's do." Sesshomaru replied. "Demons only need to be unconscious to regain energy once a week or so unless they are still young and growing."

"Oh..." She frowned some, there was a lot that she'd never known that she assumed she could have learned from Shippou, but he didn't know much more himself as his parents had been murdered before they took him in. All her time in the past and there was actually very little she knew about them as a race.

Then he started to leave again and she bit her lip before whispering. "Don't leave me alone..."

It was pathetic, but there was a fear in her heart as he began to walk away that if he walked away then he'd return to the past and what little she had of those years would vanish with him. It was illogical, like a fear of the shadows beneath her bed, but she couldn't help it.

Sesshomaru was turned away when he paused at the surprising request, eyes were always the link to reading him, the unexpected shock on his face he pushed away before he turned back to look at her, moving then to sit down at the edge of her bed quietly. It was mostly dark in the room, some silver rays of moonlight had filtered in from the window and a line of yellow light was showing across the floor where the door was just slightly open.

He didn't say anything else, just considered the stars from her window, she'd gone silent after the whispered request, almost begging him not to go, something else that made him recall nights when Rin didn't want to sleep alone and had seemed frightened for no reason he could comprehend. It was a reminder that she was still young for her race even if she often came off as older or wiser.

She relaxed when he sat down, not wanting to say much else. She felt guilty for pawning her fears off on him, but he didn't look angry, in fact if anything the moonlight somehow made his face seem more serene than she normally had seen it. She lay there with half-lidded eyes watching him quietly, fingers unconsciously petting the incredibly soft fur of what she only recently learned was his tail. Her exhaustion caught up with her quickly despite her protests that she wasn't tired, and it wasn't long before her breath had slowed to a steady pace.

Sesshomaru was left to sit and watch the stars, though there weren't very many in the sky that night, he glanced back at her when she began to pet his tail. The sensation instantly something he noted, though her eyes were already closed by then, her breath starting to even out and her heart-rate slow. He knew she was falling asleep even before she did, he'd watched Rin do it enough times that it was interesting that even older humans kept all the same general signs.

It was good that she could rest, he frowned a moment as he considered it, comparing her to his mother was somewhat dishonorable to her, but at the same time, his mother wasn't the same anymore after his father had been so disrespectful. He knew that she'd loved him once, loved his father, but those times were long before now, would this girl suffer the same fate of becoming bitter and alone in the world?

All the times she'd spoken to him so freely he'd never considered there was so much more to her, to any human really, but Rin had gotten his skin ever sense he'd watched her eyes return to life. Hers wasn't the only fate he'd changed that day, she'd helped him come to terms with himself, he couldn't be certain he would have ever truly surpassed his father or attained his Bakusaiga if she hadn't affected his life.

Though he figured eventually he would have done so, it would have at least taken decades longer. He had to smile just a bit at the thought of her selflessness with him in the woods when they'd first met...she'd tried to offer him food, hadn't understood his comments of not eating human food anymore than the priestess had.

He had begun to understand his father's fascination with humans, he would never comprehend or condone what father had done to his mother, but he had finally begun to see them as something other than simple pests. He could accept having this girl in his life, she was so much like Rin and her situation made him pity her in a way he rarely had pitied anyone.

She stirred a little, moving a bit beneath her covers and mumbling incoherrantly, some dream or nightmare had taken hold of her. "don't...awful...no." Those were the only words he could make out in the mumbling, his brow furrowing lightly at it, it was still bothering so greatly even sleep didn't offer her much of a release.

"Kagome?" He spoke her name gently, but it knocked her from the dream as suddenly as if he'd tossed cold water on her, it was the first time he'd addressed her as anything other than 'inuyasha's companion' or 'priestess'.

"I'm fine." She said immediately, used to having her mother come in and wake her when she was having nightmares, it was Inuyasha kissing her again, it always seemed to taste even worse each time she had the dream. Though mercifully Sesshomaru had woken her before he'd called her Kikyo... "How long have I been asleep?"

"Not more than an hour." He answered, his face so handsome in the gentle light of the moon she found herself staring again, lost in those golden eyes. "You should try to keep resting."

"Yeah." She just agreed, she was still very tired, and being woken up before the horrible climax of her dreams made her less sad and more annoyed that the boy continued to haunt her even now. "You don't have to stay."

"I'm fine here." He answered without the usual pause, glancing back out her window as if that was the end of the discussion. She couldn't help but smile, he didn't even have the normal cold tone, it was friendly enough that it helped her feel warm. The gesture wasn't lost on her and she curled her body closer to where he sat unconsciously as she started to drift off again.

Sesshomaru pushed some hair from her face before returning to watching the sky, perhaps things were indeed much more complicated than he'd predicted. Though a flash of light from the area where the well was, and a change of scent in the air confirmed the random thought. Inuyasha had finally made his way through the well into this time again. Without realizing it Sesshomaru let out the barest growl at the arrival of his little brother.

**End Chapter**

More lengthy at least and I'm trying to go for a different aspect of Sesshy than I generally do this time. I always wondered about his mother and if she was mean to him because of his father after his father left. What woman wouldn't be bitter after something like that? Inuyasha's dad was kind of a douchebag after all. I think the song fits Kagome in particular very well but there are a lot of things I did to try to tie it into the chapter.

_-Aura_

Lyrics:

I thought the future held  
a perfect place for us  
That together we would learn to be  
the best that we could be  
In my naivety I ran  
I fell and lost my way  
Somehow I always end up falling over me

And one day  
I woke to find  
The future had no place  
for me  
I was unwanted in a world  
that with my hands I helped build  
Where once was honesty and pride  
I now stand broken and alone  
Just a shadow  
of what I was meant to be

They say that "Time will heal"  
"The truth shall set us free"  
Well that depends  
on what it is  
that you choose to believe  
In this prison made of lies  
We see what it is we want to see  
And find comfort in this  
broken hall of dreams

Does anybody feel  
the way I do?  
Is there anybody out there?  
Are you hearing me?

I believe in you  
Will you believe in me?  
Or am I alone  
in this hall of dreams?

I believe in you  
You believe in me  
But I have no trust  
in anything  
Somehow I'm always  
always falling over me

Somehow I'm always  
I'm always falling over me


	6. Carbon

**Chapter Six:** _**Carbon**_

Sesshomaru was gone from the slumbering girls room before she had a chance to hear anything at all, leaving her sleeping as she he slipped silently from her home, heading into the open space in the shrine as Inuyasha headed out of the shack, his face contorted in surprise and anger the moment he laid eyes on his older brother.

"Sesshomaru...what the hell are you doing here?" His hand was already on his sword, a keepsake from the father that had also apparently given him the tendency to betray those around him. "Where's Kagome?

The demon lord didn't waste words, his form flickered toward Inuyasha so quickly the half-demon barely blocked the strike from the Bakusaiga. As it was Sesshomaru disarmed him with the strike and then settled talons tightly around his neck with his free hand. Inuyasha was staring in a mix of shock and dislike at his older brother, at how neatly he'd disarmed and held him up so freely from the ground, his arm not budging under the awkward weight.

"You are not welcome here Inuyasha." Sesshomaru almost hissed the words at the half-breed, eyes narrowed in a greater echo of hatred on the other set of amber eyes. "Leave."

Sesshomaru dropped the half-demon unceremoniously to the ground, not that he didn't want to stick the blade into his younger brothers gut, but he didn't want to wake Kagome by making Inuyasha scream in pain.

"What?" The words caught him off guard, annoyed he narrowed his own eyes finally. "You are the one that doesn't belong here, what did you do with Kagome?"

Sesshomaru stared coldly, the idea of slaying the pest was still fresh in his mind and looking to be a better option every time the half-breed opened his mouth. "Kagome is not your concern any longer Inuyasha. Your time together has reached it's end, be it by you walking away, or by my hand."

He wasn't certain why he was so incredibly enraged now, certainly he'd planned to beat his brother, to make him pay...but he wanted it beyond a simple desire to exact vengeance for his mother. He wanted to keep him from causing further pain to the girl resting in the house above them. He wanted to make him scream for the things he'd inflicted on that woman, yet he kept those emotions in check, it wouldn't help anything if she came upon her former love dead.

"What?" Inuyasha was staring at his older brother, this was all something he didn't understand. "What are you talking about? Get out of the way Sesshomaru."

"She is sleeping Inuyasha." Sesshomaru spit the words out, annoyed at having to compromise for anything. "I will not allow you to hurt her again."

"Hurt her again?" Inuyasha growled now, but kept his voice lower at the way Sesshomaru had mentioned she was sleeping... "Look you idiot, you don't know what you are talking about."  
Sesshomaru's claws were around the younger boy's throat again, slamming him into the ground as red began to bleed into his eyes. "You don't even remember. You aren't like father after all, you are worse than him. At least he was aware of the pain he'd caused. You though, you can't even remember, once a worthless half-breed and never changing."

Inuyasha tore himself free, though he could feel the blood on his neck where some of his skin had been taken by the retreat of the poisonous claws. "You are going nuts Sesshomaru, what the hell are you talking about. Calm down. Tell me what you mean?"

Generally he was the last person to be calm, more or less tell others that they needed to be, but there was a reversal of roles happening often these days. Sesshomaru didn't attack again yet, eyes still half between white and red as his emotions were far more obvious than he normally wore them, it wasn't common that they were on his sleeve.

"You were drinking with the monk, no surprise your weak form couldn't deal with the poison. You pushed yourself on her, kissed her, then told her you loved her, followed by calling her the name of the last girl you were with." Sesshomaru's eyes had bled steadily more, the gold shifting to black as more of his temper raised with the explanation. The way Inuyasha gaped stupidly at what he was hearing.

"I never told her I loved her." Inuyasha protested then, shaking his head. "I don't know what game you are playing Sesshomaru but..."

The pressure had changed in the air and it gave Inuyasha pause, the air around Sesshomaru had shifted, his hair lifted on a wind that wasn't there, he was seriously considering transforming right there on the opening of the shrine. Though he didn't actually change, his form remained human, if a frightening reflection of what it had been moments before. His tone was even, but dripped with a loathing even Inuyasha hadn't heard from him before. "Leave now."

"Shut up already." Inuyasha had finally lost his temper with whatever was wrong with his brother. "I need to see Kagome, I owe her a word or two for leaving me with a busted up back when she stormed off..."

Then it finally clicked, what Sesshomaru was telling him actually made sense. He couldn't remember that night past when he'd called Miroku a cheater at the dice game. He vaguely recalled that Kagome was helping him back to the cabin the village had given them but not more than she'd gotten angry, had sit him so badly that he'd hurt for weeks. Had he really told her he'd loved her and called her Kikyo?

Sesshomaru was standing in the way of him speaking with her however.

"I need to talk to her Sesshomaru." Inuyasha said more quietly than his growling the moment before. "If you aren't lying I have to tell her..."

"You have to tell her nothing." Sesshomaru finished coldly. "There is nothing to tell. You are as pathetic unhonorable a fool as father was, indeed perhaps you deserved his blade all along."

"Stop bringing dad into this!" He yelled back at the demon lord in annoyance. "And Tetsuaiga, they have nothing to do with it. Kagome deserves at least me to apologize if that's what happened."

"And then what Inuyasha?" His brother's voice mocked him. "You lead her on further while only thinking of her as another creature? As if I would stand off and allow you to continue these despicable acts."

Kagome had woken up several moments before. She heard them yelling outside her window, heard that Inuyasha hadn't even remembered what he'd done but also that he wanted to apologize. At the glance out the window, at how close it seemed Sesshomaru was to changing into his demon form she'd dashed down the stairs and reached the door just in time to hear the demon lord defending her and admonishing Inuyasha.

"It's none of your business anyway." The half-demon snorted at Sesshomaru, hands drawing his claws into a more aggressive stature. "You shouldn't even be here. You probably just want to use her to learn about the modern world. What do you care about the feelings of a human? You hate them."

"Blind as well as stupid." Sesshomaru retorted coldly, drawing his own blade up in reply to the shift of Inuyasha's form. "This conversation is at it's end, you leave or I return you in pieces. Give me a reason to make it the later option."

"Yeah right." Inuyasha returned, dashing toward his own sword to pick it back up. The Tetsuaiga and Bakusaiga let sparks fly into the air around the brothers as they slammed the blades into one another. Sesshomaru forcing Inuyasha back and wide before moving closer, prepared to offer his little brother a devastating blow.

"Sit boy!" Kagome had had enough, she was tired of this and angry. "What the hell is the matter with you two!? Sit boy! Sit sit sit sit sit!"  
As Inuyasha's face planted with a loud crack into the ground, Sesshomaru paused, he didn't put his blade away but his eyes reverted to normal and the wind that had picked up around him died out, leaving his hair to drift gently back into place. He glanced back to the girl that had interrupted their battle, surprised himself at her words that he'd allowed himself to get so angry and act on it so freely.

"You, you are horrible." She pointed at Inuyasha with her free hand on her hip. "You need to get the hell out of here. I'm done with this, joke, I don't want you near me right now. I realize that it's partly my fault for ever thinking that you'd want me instead of that uppity bitch but I don't care. Get the hell away from me Inuyasha and leave me alone."

Sesshomaru couldn't help but smirk at the astounded expression on his younger brother's face, the way he stuttered before glaring at Sesshomaru and dashing back off into the well, likely vanishing in the small array of light that showed from within a moment after.

"And you!" Kagome hadn't forgotten the demon lord, she'd stalked over to him after. "You didn't have to just make things worse, I know you were trying to help but I can defend myself and my honor perfectly find thank you."

"So it seems." Sesshomaru answered smoothly, he was still too amused at the way she'd neatly told off his brother to take the way she was speaking to him personally.

"And...thank you..." She said in a more kind manner after his reply made her relax a little, she glanced at him and he sighed before pulling her closer, he'd smelled the tears before they'd even bubbled to the surface. Letting her cry into his shoulder as he glanced up toward the sky, unable to even put away his blade for a lack of wanting to interrupt her. Whatever had happened here, he had to finally agree that on some level they were connected.

**End Chapter**

So I'm starting to consider this more of like a rough draft to detail out later for sure. A quick 'well this is what happens' whereas later I can come back and do more with it. For the challenge at least things have to move a little more quickly and I dunno, even though it's short really for one of mine I'm having a hell of a time with it so far - yay.

_-Aura_

Lyrics:

A million points of light  
Ascending to the sky  
Monuments in darkness  
Standing watch  
Until the sun will rise  
Screaming to an emptiness  
Of how we once defined ourselves  
With our hands over our eyes  
Claiming all of creation

What inspires in us this madness  
That out existence should be defined  
By a light that can't be seen by anyone  
What inspires in us this madness  
That out existence should be defined  
By a light that we can't see  
By a light that can't be seen

A million points of light  
Ascending to the sky  
Monuments in darkness  
Standing watch  
Until the sun will rise  
I can't see this all as progress  
How did we come this far?  
When we see ourselves as deities  
Claiming Nature for ourselves  
By our actions we betray  
The instincts in our race  
By our blindness and stupidity  
We kill everything  
We kill... everything

Can someone see our self destruction?  
Are we reminding ourselves  
That our existence is  
So delicate  
That without this light we are no more  
That without this light we've made we are no more

A million points of light  
Ascending to the sky  
Monuments in darkness  
Standing watch  
Until the sun will rise  
We torch this earth until it bleeds  
Rain ashes from the sky  
Just to make a light that no one can see  
We cut this earth until it bleeds  
Rain ashes from the sky  
Just to make a light that no one can see  
Just to make a light  
Just to make a light  
We kill everything  
By our blindness and stupidity  
We kill... everything

in 1000 years what will be our legacy  
a million lights that no one can see  
a million points of light


	7. Genesis

**Chapter Seven:** _**Genesis**_

It should be easier.

The opposite however was the truth in this case.

She'd ripped not just the bandage free of the wound but had completely torn away the fresh scab that had begun to form over her heart. Instead she was left bleeding again, her tears may as well have been red. She'd finished it, and all the choking regret kept her from making sound to match her cries. Inuyasha was told to go away and she couldn't chase after him, she didn't want to, she wanted to fall apart and let the world do as it would without her.

Cupid was a cruel winged creature indeed. Haphazardly shooting his arrows with little care as to any casualties he left in his wake. The arrow that had pierced her heart had been ripped away to leave the now bleeding wound. What mistress could be more cruel than that of love?

She was aware that Sesshomaru was holding her lightly, that small comfort was the only reason she hadn't fallen to her knees and tried to scream in protest of the way things had turned. This wasn't the way it was suppose to be, was she fated to have cursed romances simply because she was a priestess? We're they all doomed to die without happiness as Kikyo and Midoriko had done before her? Despite her resolve, she knew if she hadn't had someone else there she might have given into the hopelessness that seemed to be reaching out in front of her like a grave.

The demon lord that was being so patient with her was also exceptionally strong, even though her own body was wavering he was holding her steady. She didn't care though, she wasn't nervous or worried that it was someone that had previously tried to kill her on multiple occasions. Instead she was delighted that someone was there at all to keep her tied to not just this world but the world of the past. If Sesshomaru could be here and Inuyasha could pass backward in time then she could return again, she hadn't given up everything in her distraught rush away from him.

Maybe things would be alright then?

Perhaps this horrible agony of heartbreak would finally start to heal now that she'd told him she wanted him gone. It was as if there had been dirt in the deep cut and she'd had to not only pull out the arrow but let it bleed all over again to clean it out. It would sting for a while but it would get better, she had to believe that...

It offered a measure of bittersweet closure that she'd finally gotten to tell him what she felt, that she wasn't going to just be second best to Kikyo anymore. She was Kagome, a wonderful strong girl that wouldn't accept being with someone that only cared for her because of her appearance.

Though as she cried she eventually ran out of energy again, and was still not fully aware that she was passing out standing up held by Sesshomaru of all people. The demon lord meanwhile wasn't sure what he should do. Part of him, the more demonic emotions he normally pushed aside, wanted him to chase down Inuyasha and use his claws to dismantle every bone. The more reasonable part knew he couldn't just drop the girl and do it, and neither did he desire to do so. He'd said to himself that they were connected now somehow and knew it to be true.

It was anathema to him but somehow this girl was now his responsibility. A new duty that he'd have to look after her, not that it was too out of the way as he intended her to be his guide, but there was something behind that anger for Inuyasha that was beyond the normal distaste of the half-breed.

_"Was this what you meant father?"_ He thought in vague annoyance as he realized the process of his thoughts. _"I don't care for her. I don't even know her. This cannot be the sort of protection you mentioned then. Even I could read the meaning between those words. You wanted me to protect someone I loved. But I don't love anything."_

He could still recall that snowy evening on the beach, the last time he'd speak to his dishonorable father. The cryptic comments he'd offered hadn't been much more than he'd ever given to Sesshomaru, this time had been nothing much to differ from the other few days he'd had personal conversations.

His thoughts weren't completely true, he cared for Jaken and Rin even if he wouldn't admit it to himself. More for Jaken as it would be inconvenient to find another trustworthy lieutenant but Rin was almost like a daughter and he would and had killed to protect her in the past. Nonetheless he didn't see it that way, he'd brought her back to life at the whim of his sword and now she was his property.

Though pushing those thoughts aside, he was left with the difficulty of the girl. It took no effort at all to return her to her room and settle next to her bed again. Her haunting request to have him present still echoed in his mind, he didn't want to unsettle her further.

So he sat there, he prefered the outdoors but the various scents of a teenage girls room had him intrigued. She owned perfumes and soaps most nobles would pay immense amounts for. Her beds were washed with even more different smells and it took even his apt nose quite a while to pick apart the wide variety of scents within.

Even when her family returned an hour later he hadn't finished. Her mother frowned a little at his presence but didn't protest as Kagome's hands were tangled into his tail when she checked on her daughter. He could only assume the glare was suppose to be a warning but was distracted with his own thoughts so pushed the vague insult of that gesture aside.

She may have won the day and frightened Inuyasha off for the time being but it wouldn't stay so easy, his brother had a nasty habit of being too hardheaded for his own good. Once the shock wore off he'd return to try to weasel his way back into her life. It was an unacceptable option, his claws wouldn't miss removing the half-breed's adams apple next time if it came to that. Instead they could find another sanctuary in this world, she was still required to show him the way of things here, if they moved away from this place Inuyasha might get himself killed being too direct in his search for her.

The smallest smile curled the edge of the demon lord's lips at that idea, a wicked cruel sort of humor reflecting in his golden eyes.

Then his gaze was drawn toward the well as the purplish-pink light flickered from it a second time that evening and he could smell the aura of magic mixed with both human and a demon he was familar with.

"Jaken?" He thought idly and curiosity finally got him to pull himself carefully free of the slumbering girl to move and inspect the well. There was no imp standing within, but a rolled up parchment that was tied with a thin red ribbon at it's center.

Retrieving it was no problem, opening it and reading it however made him frown anew. The message was from the village elder of the village where Inuyasha often stayed. The half-breed was eternally the fool. He'd left the Tetsuaiga and wandered off. None of them could apparently find him and Sesshomaru knew as well as they that without the mystical connection to their father's blade he would allow himself to fall into his demon form. A good way for him to exterminate more of the humans but also possibly get himself killed. They wanted Kagome to come and try to help them find him and return him to thinking clearly.

"Fools these humans are..." He commented distastefully. "...as if that unworthy creature has ever thought clearly."

He was more concerned with the idea of Kagome being forced to help his brother once again. This would be news that would only hurt the priestess further if she was to discover the truth. He eyed the makeshift invitation only a moment before it dissolved in the acidic poison his claws created around it.

Returning was the only viable option. On the destruction of their entire villiage would her former companions and the villagers listen to his demands. No one would tell her what had come to pass with the half-breed. He didn't like threats or extortion but in this case it would be needed to protect the girl that had somehow tied herself to him when she'd pulled the sword from his father's tomb those years ago.

Activating the well wasn't overtly difficult now that he knew how to augment his demonic energy to match it's own signature, something like a lock and key. Instead he knew that time was of the essence, he had to return before she woke or she would be suspicious of his actions.

Nonetheless the dark smile returned, if only for a moment, perhaps things would work out and Inuyasha would get himself killed. The stars curled around him and he was gone from the future in a wave of stars.

**End Chapter**

Whee, I've had almost no time lately, took me way too long to get this out and I will finish this fiction dammit! *Growlsandrawrs*

-Aura

_Lyrics:_

_Breathing an air,  
permeated, soaked in darkness,  
emanating from within,  
resonating like a scream no one can hear_

The abyss becomes me,  
I wear this chaos well.  
Though none should save me,  
desperation keeps me here,  
my need for innocence,  
the place where I began

With you I stand in hope that  
god will save us from ourselves.  
Every cry a wasted moment  
until another day is lost.  
Even lands we once called home  
lie undiscovered and unknown.  
Only heaven's silence for an answer.  
And did our laughter, did our tears  
have some purpose after all?  
Did we toil in vain in hope  
that wisdom came from what we'd done?  
Even lands we once called home  
lie undiscovered and unknown.  
Only heaven's silence for an answer.

Are these not words of heresy  
a venom on my lips, a poison?  
My spirit im-purified  
in every word I choose to say

If I would shed my skin, the layers left,  
but not the lessons learned  
it would not undo what I have done  
or grant forgiveness in some better days.


	8. Structure

**Chapter Eight:** _**Structure**_

It was only a few moments. Regardless of their bravado, he could smell the fear clinging to the humans and child fox that were arguing with him. Sense that they had in no way expected he to be the one levitating up from the well as opposed to the girl they'd befriended and they were waiting on instead.

"What the hell do you mean stop trying to contact Kagome?" Miroku was the most outspoken, he'd disliked the full demon sense he'd allowed Naraku's poisonous insects to afflict him for the first time. "Sense when do you care about her?"

"Miroku..." Sango was trying to keep things as cool as possible, she already knew she was on the demon lord's hit list giving her willingness in the final battle to sacrifice Rin for the priest. She also knew that they didn't stand a chance if the demon lord decided to stand against them all. "...we probably don't know the entire story."

"Then he should tell us." Miroku replied heatedly, holding his staff in front of him defensively. Now that his wind tunnel was gone he had little to do to actually hold off the demon lord.

"Kagome, she told the worthless half-breed she didn't wish to see him again. That she was displeased with the manner in which he continued to mistreat her." Sesshomaru returned cooly, speaking in the way you'd expect a businessman to give a report instead of having any sense of empathy. "He deserves what fate he earns himself for his mistakes. She should not be forced into this further and nor will I allow it. Deal with the issues as they are by yourselves."

"Wait...what the hell do you..." Miroku's question broke off in the middle, Sesshomaru had already vanished again through the well. "The nerve of that guy...telling us to leave her alone when we finally figured out how to send messages through the well."

It was something that they'd been fiddling with on occasion with Kaede and the old priestess was finally the one that managed to figure out the correct manner in which to cast a spell capable of allowing a small wrapped message though. Who knew it'd end up in the hands of the demon lord of all things?

"It can't be helped." Sango answered with a relieved sigh the tenseness had been deflated by the quick retreat of Sesshomaru. "He usually doesn't lie Miroku...if Kagome did finally get enough of Inuyasha then perhaps we should leave her to herself and track down Inuyasha ourselves. There is a new moon approaching, we can ambush him and hog tie him to the Tetsuaiga if we must."

"I can get the rope." Shippou suggested, speaking up now that one of his mortal fears had left. "I think Kagome could do better than Inuyasha anyway."

"I don't like this." Miroku stated calmly, glancing back at his friends from where he'd been trying to glare a hole through time. "How exactly did Sesshomaru get into Kagome's time?"

"Other demons have before." Shippou reminded with a shrug. "I wish I could go through and see her in her own time. I bet it's great, all the candy I could eat."

Sango and Miroku sighed at the starry eyed look in the fox kit's eyes at that comment, finally Miroku slumped his shoulders a little and nodded. "Fine, we have to stop that idiot somehow before he kills a bunch of people or gets himself killed."

**...Change of Scene...**

Kagome never woke and Sesshomaru was settled next to her bed again by the time the morning rolled around. He was still considering how he would hunt down the worthless half-breed when she half-screamed and ended that line of thought. He only glanced at her quietly, looking her over for injury.

She was holding a hand over her heart, which raced much more than moments ago, and her eyes were gaping at him for several moments before she seemed to remember what had happened the day before. He kept the smile off his face at the reaction she'd had to not remembering she'd asked him to stay.

"Um..." She finally managed sheepishly as a blush crept to her face. "Good morning?"

"Kagome what's wrong?" Her grandfather burst into the room brandishing paper talismans. "If that thing hurt you."

"I'm fine Grandpa." She quickly interjected, noting the small shift of one of Sesshomaru's eyebrows at the interruption. "I was just startled, I forget something...anyway, both of you get out of my room so I can get dressed. Right now."

Grandpa humphed at the rudeness and grumbled about 'kids these days having no appreciation' as he headed down the steps. Sesshomaru meanwhile shifted and rose, slipping out of her room soundlessly and waiting in the hallway after she closed the door, wondering if the future would be worth all this trouble.

_"I can't believe I asked Sesshomaru of all people to stay with me!"_ Kagome thought frantically as she tossed an outfit together on her bed and started to change. _"Or that he actually stayed! If he hadn't been there I would have lost my resolve and chased after Inuyasha."_

She felt better today though, like things were going to just move forward finally. She couldn't put her finger on it exactly but she was excited for the first time in ages to greet a new day. There was also the nervousness that came with Sesshomaru wanting her to guide him around her time and the mental images of him destroying anyone that made him angry. She took a deep breath as she finished putting on her dress and started to brush her hair.

Why not show him around? He'd been fine so far, he'd even stopped and helped her just by sitting with her when he could have wandered off on his own. Better behaved than that jerk Inuyasha ever was in her time. She'd always thought that beneath all the cold exterior there was a heart, she just didn't think she'd ever get to see it act so kind as last night.

_"He sat next to me all night I bet."_ She smiled at her reflection in the mirror but it was bittersweet. _"He even asked me if I was being kept against my will when he came, why I'm so unhealthy seeming now. I do look awful..."_

She was skinny to a degree that if she hadn't had the slip and dress on her ribs had started to show, her cheeks were drawn and the dark circles beneath her eyes were greatly receded from the day before but still there, puffy with all the crying she'd done. _"I'm a mess, I can't believe I let him do this to me..."_

Her stomach rumbled in a strong protest of her lack of eating lately and she nodded to herself with a new smile back on her face. It was time to fix things and take care of herself. She opened the door with her purse over a shoulder, if she was going to show Sesshomaru her time, then she could start with taking him out to a early lunch. It would be a nice return gesture for what he'd done for her and they could possibly talk more. She'd slept too long to get them breakfast but she was in the mood for one of the local buffets anyway, start getting some meat back on her bones.

"Okay, come on. Mom, I'm gonna go out to lunch with Sesshomaru and show him around a little." Kagome said cheerfully as she pulled one clawed hand down the steps with her. She missed the slightly surprised expression from the demon lord she was tugging along.

"Sure dear." Her mom was also surprised but seemed to quickly adjust. "I'm glad you'll be getting out for a while. Be careful and here."

She handed her a cell phone and some extra yen. "Just in case. Have a good time okay?"

"Thanks mom you're the best!" Kagome hugged her warmly, resisting the urge to cry at just how good her mom was to her and rushing Sesshomaru along with her out the door. "Whew, good air, nice new day. I didn't think about it, but you said you don't eat human food. If we go somewhere with meat you'll be okay right? Sushi? If it's raw meat maybe?"

Sesshomaru was eyeing the quick change in demeanor quietly filing away thoughts about the girl. It was in part just a brave face, he picked up the moment where she was close to tears in the house. He wouldn't comment, there was no purpose in antagonizing her. Instead he listened and observed as she chatted about the things of her world. All of which were intriguing, the magics they'd developed were amazing indeed. The train was a device that was particularly interesting, along with the other means of transportation she explained. Though he personally was already faster, the humans did well in developing ways to make themselves more useful.

That took up their conversation for some time before they reached the restaurant she mentioned, it was nice, exceptionally clean, for a human establishment. She ordered a variety of raw dishes, it wasn't what he would normally desire, he prefered to make his own kills, but it would suffice for the moment. He could choke it down in return for the information he was receiving while she continued to talk about her world and the ways things worked. There was far more than he even realized that he now needed to study.

Architecture, Engineering, Physics, Economics, Warfare, in particular the variety of Technology's now settled neatly at his fingertips, he would be more than a simple lord if he could attain this information. If he was patient and did things right he'd be able to rule any land he desired with this...

"You are much more curious than I expected." Kagome said after the meal, having ended up eating most of it when she realized he still didn't like it. "I think I might have to take you by the library."

And once she explained what the library was, they'd discovered their next destination. The entire day was spent finding the books that the demon lord wanted and helping him start to figure out the differences in language over the years their times were separated.

Kagome was smiling though more honestly by the time they were on their way home with a couple of stacks of books. "We should try something more fun tomorrow."

The lack of reply she'd gotten used to over the day so she kept going.

"I mean, it's Sunday and Monday I have to go back to school so we should go ice skating, my friends were going to go with me but they canceled so I didn't wanna go alone." She explained as they were taking the train back to the shrine. "I think it'd be a lot of fun."

Then she was pulled into explaining ice skating and that took up the rest of their day.

"Thanks for coming with me today." She said as they headed back up the stairs. "I guess it was more to help you but I had fun, it was nice to get out for a while."

"Thank you for taking the time to explain Kagome." He replied turning to face her when she stopped a little away from the top of the stairs to watch the nearly dead tree on the grounds.

"Never thought I'd hear that from you." She grinned anyway, she was delighted she'd gotten to see another side of the demon lord.

"I am more surprising than some would believe." He returned and offered a light smile to her, he wasn't sure why but it made him relax now that she seemed to be doing honestly better. It would take her time to recover completely but she was strong for a human. She reminded him of how he thought Rin would end up acting when she got a little older.

"When will you return to your time?" Kagome asked, though she seemed a little more sad at the idea.

"I'll need to attend to things soon actually." He read her as he replied. "You are welcome to accompany me if you like. I will probably need some help with some of the books you helped me acquire."

"Well I have to take them back or the library will be mad at me." She pondered. "I guess we could do that. I'd like to see Sango and Miroku again as well. Shall we go then?"

"I thought you wanted to go ice skating." Sesshomaru pointed out, still curious of the human activity, he needed to experience such things to approve them for Rin.

"Well yeah, but we can do that later." She shrugged a little. She felt after over a month she probably owed her friends an explanation. "I think I'd like to see your home, you've seen mine."

"If you prefer." It was short and simple, but more than she got sometimes when she talked with him so she nodded.

"Yeah. Let me gather some things and we can go back." She held a finger up and ran into her home, leaving him to consider the tree that had sobered her when they'd first walked up.

It left a slightly difficult spot for Sesshomaru if the group she wanted to see hadn't left but he doubted they would push their luck with him, particularly in the case of the coward demon hunter whom still owed her life to him for her treachery. At the estate there wouldn't be problems, he didn't keep demons as retainers that had a problem with loyalty and those few that had been caught as such didn't still breath.

It was a good idea in all, she could also function as a teacher for Rin, she was getting older and had many questions he couldn't answer for her. He knew there was more to it, but he was pushing looking at that knowledge to the side. It was all so fast he had little choice but to resist the idea that he cared about the priestess.

"Ready." Kagome was still smiling as she returned with a overpacked yellow backpack. He'd seen her with it several times before but hadn't thought on it much, many of the books were probably inside now. "Are you good?"

He nodded, still uncertain as to if he should actually take the girl or not. There was a budding dislike that he was becoming more like his father than he cared for.

**End Chapter**

Lots at once, I hope if I go back and redo this to do a little more and have the ice skating 'date' of sorts. I had some ideas but this fiction is only as long in chapters as the album has songs so I gotta hurry from time to time.

_-Aura_

_No Lyrics, Instrumental._


	9. Fearless

**Chapter Nine:** _**Fearless**_

The well was always a nice change from the modern times for Kagome. The air was clearer mingled with the sent of floral instead of smog and she found herself breathing deeply after her long absence from the earlier time. For all the times she'd jumped though arrival was different this time, instead of the difficult climb from the depths she was floating upward as if nothing but the air was carrying her.

It was both exciting and anxious in a way that other forms of flight hadn't been. Riding on Shippou, Hachi, or Kilala she'd always had something stable beneath her but this was different, an imperceivable but intense energy fueled her levitation. It was similar to standing on a carpet with a lot of static charge around her feet but it didn't change that they were just dangling there as she rose into the sky on what seemed like nothing more than the will of the demon lord next to her.

"Kagome!" The high pitched young fox kit tore her attention away before she got caught up staring at Sesshomaru. He was running from the edge of the trees and waving at her frantically.

"Shippou..." She frowned at the worried expression on her young friend's face. "Can I stop and speak with him?"

They stopped moving and she waved her arms nervously at the strange vertigo that came with just levitating freely midair, she started to feel the rise in her chest that came with a fall before a wrist with crimson stripes closed around hers to steady her.

"Kagome!" Shippou turned into his strange pink ball floaty form that allowed him to close a little of the distance. "I was worried about you! You just left us here."

His transformation lasted only as long as it took him to close the distance then he changed back as he hugged her tightly. She didn't notice the glare the kit got from the demon lord as she returned the hug with a smile. She assumed the small shiver was in part from whatever else was wrong.

"What's happened Shippou?" Kagome asked seriously as she leaned back to look at the fox child with a frown of her own after the shiver.

"Um..." He hesitated as images of Sesshomaru tearing him apart along with the village haunted him.

"Go ahead, say something." Sesshomaru commented, it was a moot point now that the girl knew something was wrong. She wouldn't leave before she discovered the issue and he hadn't threatened the entire village. He'd have to deal with the fox child's lack of judgement later.

"Inuyasha..." Shippou commented still nervous around the much more powerful demon. "He got mad after he came back and left the Tetsuagia here before running off. Miroku and Shippou went after him cause of the new moon but they aren't back yet."

Kagome frowned at that, glancing at Sesshomaru who she couldn't read at all and back to Shippou with a sigh. "That idiot...what was he thinking?"

She was angry instead of worried. The urge to sit him a few dozen times arose, he knew that he shouldn't be running around without the sword that kept his demon side in check. If Sango and Miroku went after him they could have ended up fighting.

"I dunno, are you gonna go after them Kagome?" Shippou tried not to pay attention to the demon lord he was pretty sure was going to kill him after this and instead focused on the fact that his friends might be in danger. "I'm worried."

"No need of that." Sesshomaru interjected this time, his head had canted away from them and toward the forest. "Inuyasha and the humans are not that far off, a mile or two out at most."

"You can tell from that far away?" Kagome blinked slowly, Inuyasha had a good nose but that was a much further distance than she'd seen Inuyasha successfully scent anything.

Sesshomaru eyed her quietly a long moment before glancing back to the way he had when he'd first scented the other members of her party. "Further if the winds are favorable."

"Oh." Kagome answered lamely before glancing after his eyes, realizing they were rising upward to get a better vantage, in the distance she could pick out her friends though. All three seemed to be okay though so she sighed a bit in relief.

"They look okay." Shippou pointed out with a grin. "I'm so relieved. I gotta yell at Inuyasha still."

"Do you prefer to stay?" Sesshomaru asked Kagome quietly, he knew his own wards would be getting concerned soon about his long absence. Though he couldn't follow through on his threats about the village, he still planned to have Rin stay there as he couldn't keep putting her in danger.

"I should see how they are." Kagome nodded. Offering a smile when he floated them back to the ground. "Thank you."

Sesshomaru didn't answer, instead he suddenly relocated Kagome behind him and narrowed his eyes at the part of the woods Inuyasha came dashing out of.

"What the hell are you still doing around here Sesshomaru!" The half demon growled outright, fingers of his hand twitching with the urge to pull his sword. "Leave Kagome alone."

"Shut up Inuyasha." Kagome didn't give the demon lord a chance to reply sticking her head around one side to speak for herself. "I don't believe you. Sesshomaru isn't bothering me, he's been much nicer than you lately."

"You said you wanted to 'let me stay with you Inuyasha'." Inuyasha snapped back at Kagome harshly. "What was that? You know I didn't mean to say what I said. I don't even remember it."

"You are such a jerk." Kagome made fists with her hands, tears threatening at the reminder of the sweet moment in her bedroom when they'd almost kissed, when he hadn't forced himself on her thinking of someone else instead. "I don't want that anymore."

"Don't give me that." Inuyasha walked up to grab her but before she could even sit him clawed fingers had sunk into his wrist neatly where flesh began to burn from the poison of the demon lord that interrupted him.

"I believe Kagome has made herself perfectly clear." Sesshomaru stated coldly. "Back down Inuyasha before my claws dismantle your head next."

Kagome blinked at the harshness of voice the demon lord had, she always knew he'd had moments where he'd snapped but she'd rarely seen him do it herself. Inuyasha meanwhile used his freehand to grab his sword and pulled away despite the line of blood that followed the action of forcing his flesh free of his older brother's claws.

"I'm sick of you already. Shut the hell up Sesshomaru." Inuyasha growled back, then paused as he glanced at the unchanged Tetsuagia, it didn't transform.

The smirk that appeared on Sesshomaru's face was enough that he tossed the blade aside a moment before his face planted firmly into the ground.

"Sit boy! Sit sit sit sit sit boy!" Kagome yelled at him in frustration. "You are such an idiot. I don't want to be with you anymore! Stop taking it out on everyone else that you messed up! You did! No one else. You. Sit I said!"

Inuyasha had started to get up to protest but was put right back to the ground by the final command. Kagome turned to the stunned Miroku and Sango and handed over Shippou. "I'm sorry guys, I'll be okay. I'm gonna go with Sesshomaru for a while. Keep an eye on him, if I have to come back then he'll cry over how much I'll get to say 'sit boy'."

The last words returning the half demon that was stubbornly starting to get up again. She turned away from him in a huff and nodded instead to Sesshomaru. "I'm sorry I'm ready now."

"I risked my life for you you bitch." Inuyasha muttered and Kagome pretended not to hear as they headed back into the sky.

The flight was uneventful as they moved, though she was just relieved to have distance between them, trying not to dwell on how things were turning out. She'd at least wanted to be friends, but that didn't seem very likely now.

Sesshomaru meanwhile was going over how things had developed in this path and diverted from the final destination where Rin and Jaken would be to pause in the woods as it grew late instead. He wanted a chance to consider things, to allow the girl a bit more time to relax from the agitation his brother inspired.

She cried more, until she fell asleep and curled up with his tail. She was appealing for a human, she didn't stink, she took care of her hair, was intelligent and powerful as a priestess. He had to admit that Inuyasha was a fool for treating her so poorly. She was worth more than the half-breed could even comprehend. Yet he only had caused her grief over a dead woman, one that hadn't seemed to actually return his feelings.

This girl though, to him, should be nothing more than the instrument of Naraku's death or a tutor from her times. He defended her without thought however...

That made him frown. He had to say he didn't like the idea of it.

"You okay?" Kagome had stirred and he'd been so lost in thought he hadn't noticed it. "Don't see you frown very much."

"I'm fine." His face was back to it's usual poker mentality. "You should rest."

"I want to but it's hard I guess." Kagome said with a soft smile looking up at the stars. "It's nice though just being here, being able to relax even if my brain is so busy."

"Are you considering the half-breed?"

"Yes and no." Kagome shrugged. "I'm still mad at him but I think I know we're done now, I had a month more to get over than he did I guess."

He didn't reply, just listening to the girl and allowing her to speak her mind.

"I think I knew when I first went back home it was over but it just took me a long time to figure it out. Maybe he just needs time too. I'm glad you were there when I told him though, I don't think I'd of done it otherwise."

"You would have." Sesshomaru stated in his matter of fact manner.

"Think so?" She smiled at the sort of compliment. "Maybe, I was pretty mad. This is so comfy. So soft and just great."

She changed the subject curling into the tail a little more happily, it was ridiculously fluffy and subtle, just made her cozy when she was barely laying on it. It was addicting, after this a bed wouldn't be nearly so welcoming.

"Do not become accustomed to it. I'll begin to believe you forgot your blankets purposefully." He replied, vaguely amused she was so enthralled by his tail.

Not that he'd admit it but he enjoyed it to be petted.

"How do you keep it so lovely?" She asked, smirking at the idea of him making Jaken shampoo and condition the whole thing out.

He shrugged at that, there wasn't much to say, it was what it was. He bathed but didn't do anything particular to make the tail special. Humans did seem to have a fondness for animal fur so he'd attributed her comments to that.

"Secret huh." She grinned a little at her own idea of what happened, drifting back off slowly to rest enjoying the fleece-like fur of her companion.

_"I wonder who the mysterious one really is." _He thought returning his eyes to the sky quietly. He curled the girl closer to his body with the tail, it was easy to do, she was incredibly light. Better to keep her warm and safe, he was flirting with the devil but it wasn't as if he hadn't walked hell and come out fine before.

**End Chapter**

Know the phrase; never enough time in the day? Yeah that defines my life lately. Takes a lot just to get the time to write these days. Very sad. Anyway hope folks enjoy!

-Aura

_Lyrics:_

_so many little things followed me  
so many little things that bothered me  
because I am not your answer  
but I found my answer  
from all the chaos that followed me  
I have found my answer_

_I've told you before don't follow me  
I am not alone, I am not afraid, I am not unhappy  
these are the words I say to myself everyday  
but I'm not alone  
I am not alone, I am not afraid, I am not unhappy  
tell me what ritual I should have today  
I've resolved so many things and set myself free_

I am not alone, I am not afraid, I am not unhappy  
the words I say to myself every day  
I am not alone, I am not afraid, I am not unhappy  
_such a stupid ritual to have to say to myself everyday  
I'm not unhappy  
I'm not alone but I found my answer and set myself free  
I'm not alone and I'm not unhappy_

not alone and I'm not unhappy  
I'm not alone, I'm not afraid  
and I'm not afraid, not unhappy  
eleven point two, eleven point two  
I'm not alone, I'm not afraid  
_I'm not alone, I'm not afraid  
_

_I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid  
These are the words I say to myself everyday  
I am not alone. I am not afraid. I am not unhappy  
I am not alone. I am not afraid. I am not unhappy_

I'm not afraid  
and I am not alone. I am not afraid. I'm not unhappy  
_The words I say to myself everyday  
I am not alone. I am not afraid. I am not unhappy  
Such a stupid ritual to have to say to myself everyday  
I'm not alone but I found my answer and set myself free  
I'm not, I'm not, I'm not unhappy _


	10. 4 AM

**Chapter Ten:** _**4 AM**_

It was a moment where the wind shifted and golden eyes slid open aggressively to scan the woods surrounding himself and the girl he'd taken as another ward. The scent was familiar enough, the stench instantly recognizable for the sensitive nose of the demon lord. He was tempted to wake Kagome and tell her that his half-brother was following them, the lovely sound of his nose breaking as it hit the ground would be very welcome.

But she still looked tired, even in rest there were circles beneath her eyes where they were puffy. She'd been crying again. That was enough to change his mind on that, instead he knew why his brother was here, he was willing to go along with it. Without the Tetsuaiga Inuyasha was digging his own grave with this challenge.

He put her down so carefully she didn't stir until the gentle fur of his tail left her and she shivered a moment with the cold of the early morning air. It was bothersome but this was going to happen regardless so he felt no reason to wake her for it. He had barely gotten up when he heard his brother's voice.

"You need to leave Kagome alone." Inuyasha snapped without raising his voice too much. "I don't care if she wants me to leave her alone but I know you and humans. Whatever you're planning can't be good."

"That is not your concern." Sesshomaru returned unimpressed. "She chose to be with me mutt. It would be best for your health if you were to stop following us. It would bother her if I were forced to end you."

"Shut up with that!" Inuyasha growled, hand wrapping around the hilt of his sword. "I don't want you with her. I'd rather see you dead."

"You expect to defeat me then?" Sesshomaru let a dark smile show to his unfortunate sibling. "Very well, I will finish you sooner than planned."

It was only a vague irritation when Tetsuaiga transformed upon being drawn. In his lesser mind Inuyasha probably still believed he was protecting her. But things would be different this time, there was no more going easy on the pup.

Sesshomaru pulled out the Bakusaiga, the area around them clearing of smaller animals and pests except for the one that faced him. It was as if they had an awareness they shouldn't be nearby now that he'd drawn his personal weapon. Kagome had yet to stir but he was staying protectively close to her.

"Bakusaiga, keh..." Inuyasha snorted and pulled his own fang in front of him. "You forget that I now have this. Meido Zangetsuha!"

The twilight part moon blades shot from his blade in his version of the attack, though Sesshomaru could have been easily around him on his own he was forced to take a moment to pull Kagome free of the onsault by wrapped her in his tail in the same manner he often curled and then slammed his enemies. Before Inuyasha could draw the wide sword back into an attacking position, he felt his recently repaired nose break under the strength of Sesshomaru's fist, poison shooting across his face and eyes.

"Yeah that'll help...did you a great job last time!" Inuyasha called out in frustration, unable to see the shocked expression on Kagome's face from where she was tangled in Sesshoamaru's tail and waking up to realize he'd put her in the line of fire to go after his brother. She was about to sit him but a moment later paused as the need passed.

"Bakusaiga..." It wasn't a yell as Inuyasha's attack had been. More a noble whisper before the poison curled from the blade directly into the half-demon's chest breaking apart pieces of his flesh before it'd even been completely withdrawn again. Unlike the time where it had been his hand that left the hole this time it wouldn't be given the chance to recover.

"Wind scar!" The cut was true and only his fast reflexes kept Sesshomaru from taking more damage than he could have. He shielded Kagome from the worst of it or he could have avoided it completely.

It was the last attack the half demon could activate before he fell forward, the devastating attack from the Bakusaiga had reached his heart and was still eating away at his body. Kagome didn't see that, instead she was staring in surprise at the blood along Sesshomaru's arms where he'd taken the hit for her.

"Sesshomaru..." She blinked slowly not sure how to take that he'd protected her despite damage to himself. It was all so much at once. Inuyasha was dead...she could tell he wouldn't have survived the attack and the lack of any further comments from him set it in. But she wasn't as sad as she could have been, she was angry. He'd done it to himself...why would he attack her? She told him no so he decides to take it out on everyone else?

"Are you all right?" The demon lord asked, un-tangling his tail from her carefully and settling her on her feet.

"Thanks to you." She said with a nod. "If you hadn't protected me Inuyasha would have let me die."

"The worthless one isn't an issue anymore." Sesshomaru returned, glancing to where only the red robes of the fire rat remained...the rest of his brother's body had been eaten away by the poison. Nonetheless, it was what had needed to occur. "You are too important to allow him to hurt you."

She let a small smile appear, despite the horror of Inuyasha being gone it was such a compliment for the normally stoic creature she couldn't help but feel slightly better knowing he was actually looking out for her.

"I can't believe he did that..." She blinked a little at where the robes where with a sigh and a shake of her head. She moved over to pick up the robes, grimacing at the dust that was once him falling free and picking up with the wind. She'd take the robes and return them to the village to be buried with Kikyo later. What to do with the Tetsuaiga? She would have to figure that out later but would take the sword as well. "Are you okay? You took a hit there."

"It is nothing serious." He answered with a shrug. "We should be back underway soon."

She gave him a dubious look, thinking better than to express how alike the siblings actually were. "I think there is a hot spring a little north of here. We could wash out your wounds and make certain nothing gets infected."

"Come then." He gestured, holding a hand out toward her. It made her blush a little as she thought about how kind it was compared to even days before. She set her fingers over his and the slight pressure of his hand was amazing considering she'd seen what he could do with his strength.

They floated toward the direction she thought it was in and she was both sad but hopeful. Things didn't seem as dark as they could...perhaps she was still just in shock. But, in the end, Inuyasha would be with his actual love and she'd already decided he wasn't hers. Maybe everything was better this way...he could finally rest in peace.

Not that she actually thought it was better but everyone has to convince themselves that the people they love are happy after they've passed on. It was still something she had to come to fully understand as having happened. She was a little numb emotionally and unsure of how to feel and what to think.

They reached the spring she was considering and her doubts were pushed aside momentarily with a gasp as she spotted the lacerations on the demon lords back. He had taken off the top part of his kimono and it was obvious where energy from the wind scar had cut deeply into his back at varied and crossing points in such a way it made a nasty looking wound.

More surprising was the fact the edges of the wounds were already beginning to reknit themselves together. It was extremely slow but she could actually see them getting smaller ever so slightly by the time he'd finished undressing and gotten into the spring. Then more caught up to her as she noted he'd undressed and gotten into the water, a blush creeping along her face and deepening as she stood unsure of what to do.

"Um...I can wait over here." She turned around and closed her eyes trying to push naughty thoughts from her mind. He was more curved and muscular than she'd really pictured him in the past, she'd gotten a good enough look it was hard to forget.

"You are welcome to bathe." He commented, demons didn't have an issue with cross-gender activities so he didn't understand the issue. Rin occassionally bathed with him or Jaken and the strange behavior was curious.

"Um...well, humans...female humans, don't really bathe at the same time as male ones." She commented awkwardly, wringing her hands.

"I am not a human." He stated matter of factly. Then thinking it could be in part because of the recent problems added more kindly. "If you prefer you are welcome to bathe when I finish."

"Yes please." She breathed a sigh of relief, unaware that he didn't completely understand the way she was explaining it.

They traded about twenty minutes later and she was staring at where the wounds had closed enough to be scars and while they still looked fresh it was amazing how quickly he healed even compared to Inuyasha. There was a morbid fascination that accompanied the stares she gave his back before he dressed. He went to check the area while she got ready and got into the water herself still blushing.

It was lovely, the warm spring was another of the things she'd always greatly enjoyed about the past. It allowed her to relax, to have time to think even though she was getting tired again after not really sleeping thanks to the interruption.

_"Inuyasha's dead."_ It was a harrowing thought. _"I never wanted that, but what else was I suppose to do? I hope you are happier now wherever you are...we'll have to have a service for you. So the others know and can mourn as well."_

She thought she was suppose to be sadder. Not that she didn't feel horrible, but she just couldn't cry yet. There was so much happening at once and she'd already cried so much lately that the tears just weren't there. Instead her mind wandered as she went down to wet her hair and began lathering it with a shampoo plus conditioner mix. The travel bottles of the stuff had become a must while they were running the country side.

_"Sesshomaru though...why would he still be helping me?"_ She decided to focus on that mystery instead of dwelling on things she couldn't change. _"He took the hit for me, when Inuyasha would have let me be hit by the Wind Scar and the Meido Zangetsuha he saved me both times. Said I was important even..."_

Her train of thought came to the edge of a cliff and fell off as she surfaced and saw that Sesshomaru had returned and sat back down at the edge of the woods next to the spring. In sight of where she was bathing, worse he was watching her. Those honeyed eyes staring straight at her as she felt the blush only getting deeper and sunk instantly back down into the water.

"Wha...what are you doing?" Her voice went up a couple of octaves and she was fairly certain she almost choked herself on the shock alone.

"Watching." He stated with the usual matter of fact-ness. "You have a tendency to call trouble to yourself."

She blinked once, then twice, a third time more slowly. She was flabergasted, she wanted to put the beads of subjugation she'd gathered with Inuyasha's other things onto the demon lord and sit him a few dozen times. As it was he was -still- staring at her...

"Can you not stare!?" she finally managed, her voice so high now it cracked a little.

"Is there something wrong?" He smirked slowly as he finally at least seemed to get the idea, glancing upward toward the stars. "You are beautiful, for a human, you should be proud of it."

She was certain if anymore blood went to her face and neck she would pass out. _"Did Sesshomaru just call me beautiful? Sure it was sort of a backwards compliment...but still..."_

Keeping a close eye on the demon lord for any other peeks she rushed to finish getting clean and hurried behind her makeshift curtain to get dressed. Flustered by the unexpected attention and flattery she jumped a little when she came back around the corner and found him staring again.

"Suddenly developing a fear of me?" He asked as he watched her movements. She'd always been headstrong and unconcerned of his rank as a demon lord before, so something had changed...something other than Inuyasha.

"Not exactly." She said after clearing her throat. "You've always made me a little nervous...I'm just not used to people watching me while I bathe...it's uncomfortable."

That wasn't the only thing...but she wasn't sure how else to explain it. Instead she changed the subject.

"I'd like to go back to the village to take Inuyasha's things and have them buried with Kikyo." She explained, growing confidence now that she wasn't thinking about the intimidating-ly attractive demon lord. "I think it would be the best."

"It is a delay but understandable." He stated. "Inuyasha fought well during the final battle with Naraku, I imagine he deserves at least that much. Does it not bother you, burying him with the other woman?"

"No." Kagome shook her head, glad to see it didn't hurt to say it. "He wanted her anyway so it is what he would desire."

"Compassionate." Sesshomaru commented. "It is late. This place seems acceptably safe, I would prefer to rest before I go anywhere else."

"Oh um sure, it's been a long time I guess." She nodded, sitting down near him. _"Way to forget your sleeping bag Kagome. It's cold out here."_

It was early morning, there was some dew on the leaves and grass that made the forest seem to sparkle as the sun had just begun to rise. It would be cold for only a little while so maybe the dirt would be okay enough.

She was still contemplating when she was tugged closer by a tail that had wrapped it's way around her waist. Though it hadn't completely gone away the blush returned as she was set down near him with the long fur like tail folded to both give her a bit of a bed and cover her.

"Um...I think I would be okay...it's not too cold." She lied, resisting the urge to pet the lovely living blanket he offered.

"This is fine." He returned, obviously it wasn't much of a option to argue. "Just rest Kagome."

She nodded a little, and was considering just what she was going to do...she was pretty sure she had a crush on the older brother...and he did sort of frighten her in his own way...

**End Chapter**

I'm pretty sure my toddler doesn't want me to write this...anytime I go to work on it he does everything he isn't suppose to and gets into everything he shouldn't. Guess he's not a fan of Sesshy x Kagome :(.

_-Aura_

_No Lyrics, Instrumental Only._


	11. Beloved

**Chapter Eleven:** _**Beloved**_

It was a fittingly chilly morning the following day when they'd decided to have the ceremony for Inuyasha, everyone was mostly quiet as a instrument played one of the death hymns reserved for heroes. For all his stupidity he was still a hero, he'd still defeated Naraku with the rest of them which had saved the village from the madman's wrath.

The skies were clouded and in the distance the hint of thunder told them a downpour was likely not more than an hour away. Kagome had to nod a little as she surveyed the horizon, it was all in place somehow. She had cried with her other friends as they'd buried his robes and stuck his sword in the ground next to the shrine that housed Kikyo. There would be a more permanent monument placed once it was finished being built.

The city was too busy with other reconstruction after the still recent attacks to put a lot of people toward such a project. Many other shrines for families had taken damage and the half-demon was on part of a waiting list for such a tombstone.

She'd done well for the most part, most of the tears had been ones they'd pushed away or blotted at with the tissues she'd run home for. It wasn't until the song reached a particularly soulful series of notes and Shippou busted into tears burying his muzzle into Miroku's robes that Kagome felt her own sadness start to flow more freely. She hugged Sesshomaru, Miroku was taken with Shippou and Sango. Glad to find that he returned her tight embrace despite the more freely flowing tears now.

The music told much of her feelings, her tears didn't last as long as expected. Somehow for all the pain involved with his death for she was still coming to terms with the decision she'd made to not be with him. Now she had something else to recover for. Part of her wanted to blame herself, if she hadn't made that choice he'd still be okay, he wouldn't have attacked her and Sesshomaru.

But it was hallow, a mere excuse. She knew it to be so. He'd made his choice just as she'd made hers.

The desire to blame Sesshomaru for not hesitating lasted even a shorter period. He'd protected them both when Inuyasha refused to back down or see reason. She appreciated the fact she'd been saved from her once savior even if it was something she'd never dare to consider.

Pushing those thoughts aside she wanted to instead remember the good times. Him and Shippou arguing, him getting angry at Miroku for all his antics as a false priest, them all fighting and standing together. Winning despite the great odds they'd faced against Naraku.

"Now he can rest in peace." She nodded with a little more conviction than when she'd first had the thought. Saying it out loud seemed to give it more of a permanent place in her heart.

"Yes." Miroku agreed seriously, he'd cried the least amongst them but there was still moisture only half wiped from his cheeks where he'd allowed some tears to fall with the rest.

"I hope he's happy where he is now." Sango stated with a more solumn tone. Near her Kilala whimpered in a kitty like agreement and Shippou sniffled more trying to put on a brave face. For all the hell the fox kit had given Inuyasha the half-demon had also been a huge inspiration to the child.

He'd perhaps been hit the hardest amongst them all. He'd lost his parents shortly before he'd joined their group and now he'd lost one of the people that had taken him in afterwards. It was something though that he was trying his best not to cry more.

"It will rain soon." Sesshomaru stated more quietly than he might have usually spoken, but it was hard to tell, it could have just been the ambience of the scene. "Are you prepared Kagome?"

"What's he mean?" Miroku was the first to question, as usual.

"I'm going to travel with him for a while." Kagome stated quietly, not looking at either of them, she'd gone back to watching the place where they'd lay Inuyasha's soul to rest. At least as far as she was concerned. "I just think it'd be for the best."

Miroku started to reply but instead yelped a little and glared at where Sango had pinched him hard on the ribs. The demon hunter spoke up. "If thats what you think Kagome just be careful okay?"

"I will." Kagome smiled a little at her friends concern, finally glancing over to Sango. "I said I'd help though so I want to."

She wanted to say. _"I just need to get away for a while. Please."_

Sango seemed to understand without the words though and nodded before looking at Sesshomaru seriously. "You better take care of her. I don't care what sort of powers you have, if you don't then I'll hunt you down."

"Me too!" Shippou added before sniffling again, which made his show of bravado even cuter.

Sesshomaru didn't answer them at all. It seemed the most logical thing. He'd thus far taken better care of her than the half-breed they were all mourning had. Having saved her from the treacherous blade of Inuyasha. Instead he was just quiet. His brother was an unhonorable creature to the very end but he'd helped defeat Naraku and these people mistakingly thought of him as a hero or friend. He'd let them hold onto their delusions and retain a noble silence. Saying nothing was the best way he could honor this service.

"It's okay guys." Kagome reached down and took one of Sesshomaru's hands, gaining a slightly surprised expression for a vague moment from the demon lord before he returned to being aloof. "I'll be safe."

She couldn't come to tell them Inuyasha had attacked her in the final moments. She preferred that he be remembered better than that. Instead of being disliked for his last mistake she'd rather he continued to be hailed as a hero, she'd still rather remember him as one herself.

"I'll be ready soon." She whispered to Sesshomaru and went over to hug her friends and give them temporary goodbyes, promising she'd visit when they were in the area for her to visit home. Shippou was the most protective, giving a few more threats of things he'd chew off of the demon lord if he tried to hurt her. He also made her promise three times she'd be back sometime soon to check in with him. It made her smile.

Kagome shook her head to all the concerned eyes, reaffirming she'd be perfectly safe, and then wished them all well before moving back to hold out a hand to the demon lord. "I'm ready."

He wrapped fingers around hers and she felt the slightly dizzying sensation of being levitated off the earth. She squeezed his hand, glancing back to the Testsuagia where it was half buried in the ground. She didn't want to cry anymore, things would get better from here. She whispered two words before turning back to the demon lord carrying her off from the ceremony.

_"Goodbye Inuyasha."_

**End Chapter**

Whew, sad chapter. Was difficult to write but I think I got the surface feel of a funeral without making it too depressing. I think it fit the song well. Beloved always seemed like a 'permanent goodbye' sort of song to me. My second favorite song by the band. Sadly my favorite isn't on this cd. Anyway, one chapter to go!

_-Aura_

Lyrics:

_It's colder than before  
The seasons took all they had come for  
Now winter dances here  
It seems so fitting don't you think?  
Dress the ground in white  
And grey_

It's so quiet I can hear  
My thoughts touching every second I spent  
Waiting for you  
Circumstances affords me  
No second chance  
To tell you  
How much I've missed you

My beloved do you know  
When the warm wind comes again  
Another year will start to pass  
And please don't ask me why I'm here  
Something deeper brought me  
That I need to remember

We were once young and blessed with wings  
No heights could keeps us from their reach  
No sacred place we did not soar  
Still greater things burned within us  
I don't regret the choices that I've made  
I know you feel the same

My beloved do you know  
How many times I stared at clouds  
Thinking that I saw you there  
These are feelings that do not pass so easily  
I can't forget what we claimed was ours

Moments lost though time remains  
I am so proud of what we were  
No pain remains  
No feeling  
Eternity awaits  
Grant me wings that I might fly  
My restless soul is longing  
No pain remains  
No feeling  
Eternity awaits

Moments lost though time remains  
I am so proud of what we were  
No pain remains  
No feeling  
Eternity awaits  
Grant me wings that I might fly  
My restless soul is longing  
No pain remains  
No feeling

Eternity awaits


	12. Airships

**Chapter Twelve:** _**Airships**_

The view was breathtaking, Kagome was staring from the lavish room where she was asked to wait. Sesshomaru had brought her to his estate. A castle-like home at the top of a cliff-face overlooking the lands that belonged to him. Mt. Fuji was obvious in the distance, rising above the rest of the far-reaching horizon as if insisting on being seen. The amount of green was something her time was much more lacking in. From here she could spot a few small villages but in her own time there would be lines of gray or brown everywhere to give people access by roads to other parts of the country.

Instead she got to witness it more fully, with her free on the ground for one of very few times when she got such a view. It was more enjoyable when she didn't have it in the back of her mind that she could fall to her demise at any particular time.

It was incredibly lush, here and there spots of color showed areas where there must be groups of flowers. At least if she had to wait for a while she'd get to do so comfortably. There was a full bed with a feathered pillow and mattress instead of the hay most places with real beds possessed here. The walls were decorated with lovely painted scrolls except for the doors, the floors felt as if the mats were crafted of the finest materials, beyond even that of the rich people Miroku had helped them trick into free stays over the years.

He'd dropped her off here at least half an hour ago now.

"Stay here." Sesshomaru's tone didn't leave room for argument. "My underlings should leave you alone, if they make the mistake of bothering you feel free to purify them."

He didn't add. _"It will save me the trouble."_

"Why can't I go with you?" Kagome couldn't help it, it was the first time she was being left alone sense the attack, it made her a little anxious.

"It will make things more difficult and I don't care to explain at this time." He replied coolly. "You will be safe here. This is normally Rin's room."

"Okay." She nodded once, looking curiously again at the room she'd initially decided was simply a bedroom. There were no obvious toys out, though the paintings all over did have a lot of flowers...

"I will not be long."

She sighed a little bit, it felt like it'd been a while. She found the toys and books for the girl in the closet and in a few of the drawers along with age appropriate clothing, all of which was exceptionally fine in quality. Nothing here failed to describe excess, a bit of a surprise for the manner in which she often saw Sesshomaru traveling.

He wanted to pick up Rin and apparently have one of his underlings other than the imp copy the books she'd brought with her. She'd raised issues that it would take a while to copy even one but he'd just dismissed it. Probably was off wondering how he'd explain that they'd need to wait a few days.

She grinned a little, he was more stubborn than even Inuyasha, but the way he carried himself she wasn't completely sure he wouldn't manage it after all. He was always so self-assured, one of few individuals close to being able to be described as perfect. She glanced up at the lovely blue sky, knowing that it was possibly dangerous to stay with the demon, to help him with these things.

She finished her grin, she didn't really care, it was nice to not worry about it as much as she probably should. She was just happy, it was odd considering all that had happened lately, nonetheless there had been so much suffering she'd take it and not question.

"Kagome!" The young voice she recognized as Rin before she even turned from the lovely view to get half-tackled by the youth. Returning the hug and mirroring the almost always smiling ward of the demon lord. "I'm glad you are here. Lord Sesshomaru said he'd only be a little while longer. Natalia was having some trouble copying the pictures in the books. They were soooo pretty!"

"I'm glad you like them." Kagome answered with a more awkward smile. She didn't know who Natalia was but could assume it was another of Sesshomaru's minions. Apparently he wasn't lying when he said copying them wouldn't be much trouble. "How are you doing?"

"Okay I guess...I don't want to go live in a villiage though..." She wilted a little at the thought of where they were headed. It seemed Sesshomaru already told her...possibly part of why it took so long already.

"It's okay, Miroku and Sango live there and Kaede is really nice as the villiage elder. I'll be staying there sometimes and we'll visit you often." Kagome said to try to cheer the younger girl up. "I think you'll like it, there are a few other kids your age. You'll have people to play with. Shippou would like to spend time with you too I'd think."

"I guess so." She nodded, though it was obvious she was trying to put on a brave face.

"It'll be great." Kagome reaffirmed, knowing the villiage would take her in without a problem. Kaede had actually approached Sesshomaru and spoke to him about it while they were there for the ceremony. Rin wouldn't do as well if she didn't have the chance to live with humans in case she ever needed to survive with them.

Kagome was surprised he'd agreed to it, he told her along the way here it would also be easier if they were spending time in her era then it would be easier for her to tutor the girl at the village closest to the well.

"Are you traveling with Lord Sesshomaru now?" Rin asked curiously. "Word reached us that Lord Inuyasha died."

"Yeah." Kagome followed suit of not smiling anymore. "He's happier now probably. I think that I'll be traveling with Sesshomaru for a while yeah."

"Well thats good. He could use the company." Rin announced with another hug to Kagome. "Oh I need to pack or he'll be mad when he gets here."

She rushed to pack her things then and Kagome had to smile. Still curious how Sesshomaru had come to take in and keep the little girl for so long. He'd had a soft spot perhaps the entire time they knew him...

"Are you prepared?" Sesshomaru's tone was unmistakable as he returned to the room, carrying her yellow bag in one hand as if it were nothing. A little annoying for Kagome as she often struggled with it.

"Almost!" Rin piped up immediately, tossing things into her own bag quickly. "I'll be done soon!"

"How did they copy all those books so quickly?" Kagome asked curiously as she then fought to get the bag over her shoulders. She'd need to buy a new one soon, it was fraying at the edges after the years of abuse.

"I have a lot of demons at my disposal whose powers do not lie in the realm of battle." Sesshomaru stated watching Rin gather her things. "Not all of us are combatants."

"Oh." Kagome nodded a little. It made sense, they'd met a fair amount of demons that didn't want to fight really. Not nearly as many as the ones that did but they were basically at war with Naraku for years. "Well, that's good I suppose. Back to the village then?"

"As soon as Rin is prepared." He answered, glancing back to the woman he'd taken in. Giving up one ward to society just to take in another from it. The way she was smiling at him though made it difficult to be rude to her. She reminded him of his ward sometimes, albeit a little older and more willful.

"I'm ready." Rin announced happily. "I'll go get Ah-Un and see you outside."

The girl dashed off with her bag, acting happier than she had a few moments before. She didn't want Sesshomaru to worry Kagome realized. The relationship the two had was very close for as much as she once believed the demon lord hated humans.

Sesshomaru turned and headed back the way he'd lead her inside, toward a rooftop. She smirked at the assumption she'd follow but did anyway, she didn't want to be left behind in a castle of possibly aggressive demons...even if he stated they weren't that combative.

There was something magical about watching him when he first rose into the sky. An invisible wind at his command and pulling him and her into the air and toward their destination. He never wavered, never even glanced at the ground beneath them, confidence was a great word to describe him in anything he chose to do.

Holding his hand was blush inspiring, though the gentle manner in which he grasped her fingers still had enough of a grip to be silently protective. There was something between them, she noticed for the first time, had been sense he'd come to her time and first protected her. Though there would be much that she'd have to consider, a lot they'd have to discover between themselves, she was where she belonged.

She grinned as he glanced to her after she squeezed his hand. Some part of those golden eyes told her that somewhere beneath the surface of all of that aloof noble neutrality act he also felt something for her in return. The vague smile that flickered over his face upon his returning his eyes to their destined path helped to reaffirm the choices for both of them.

**End Chapter**

This was a fun CD to use for this 'challenge'. I feel it did a good job of theming a story for me and making it easier. Maybe I'll have to find another CD and work on it more someday for now though this is it. It's a happy place to end things for only having 12 chapters to work with.

_-Aura_

_Lyrics:_

_I pressed my face against the glass,  
smiled as my breath made some pattern or other  
The world beneath unfurled before me like a sail,  
glinted in gold from this rich dawn sky  
Awaiting the ship they had told me would come,  
quietly anticipating that which was to come_

I couldn't yet see you. Still obscured by the city  
A towers of glass reflected your coming  
Silhouetted on the sunrise  
Did I blink as I watched? Did I close my eyes?

_I was not alone, I think it was the first time  
Watching you rise splendid and graceful,  
I cheered as you sailed, a greatness unknown  
I laughed as I waved and imagined you saw me  
In the streets of the city, the windows of buildings,  
a million faces gazing upwards in wonder  
A million faces together and cheering and smiling  
You were the warmth of their hearts, you were the sum of their dreams  
In the coldness of morning you brought warmth to their lives  
giving this feeling of wonder I could not imagine  
You unlocking these thoughts no book and no picture could ever convey  
This feeling and morning had opened a door._  
_I stepped into a new world I watched you fly  
Saw you as a friend, the spirit of dreams  
I imagined a new world, lands far away,  
imagined those faces as you hung in their sky_

I'm leaving ground stepping into a new world.  
I'm leaving ground, a new world. And watching you fly  
I stepped into, I stepped into a new world  
I was not alone, I think it was the first time

I'm leaving ground, stepping into a new world  
I'm leaving ground, stepping into a new world  
Now I'm leaving home, leaving everything  
I step into this new world leaving everything

_I'm leaving ground, stepping into a new world  
I'm leaving ground, stepping into a new world_  
_Now I'm leaving home, leaving everything that I have ever known  
I step into this new world leaving everything_

Leaving everything, leaving everything.


End file.
